Latin name: Cicadoidea Magicicada
Common name: Cicada, 17 year “Locust”2
Insect family: Cicadoidea order Hemiptera – true bugs
Date/Location of specimen: Under the maple tree near our house in May
Description: Cicadas have prominent eyes set wide apart, short antennae, and membranous front wings. They have an exceptionally loud song, produced not by stridulation but by vibrating drumlike tymbals rapidly.They typically live in trees, feeding on sap, and laying their eggs in a slit in the bark. 1 Ohio is due for another wave in 2016, but some stragglers are emerging this year. 2
Pest/Disease & Gardening Limitations: Damage from cicadas occurs during ovipositing, or in some extreme cases, when they feed on the roots of trees. The weakest limbs of a tree are often temporarily damaged or killed off, the result of which is called flagging, as the leaves of the branch will turn brown and look like a hanging flag. 3
References:
1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicada
2 http://www.cicadamania.com/where.html
3 http://www.cicadamania.com/cicadas/will-the-cicadas-kill-my-trees-shrubs-or-flowers/
Collection Sample # 5 of 8 INSECTS
Master Gardener Class Horticulture Portfolio
