The Cicadas Of Nantucket Island A Study - Summer 2007

Introduction

Due to my great success on surveying the Cicadas on Martha's Vineyard in 2006, I got to wondering if it was at all possible that there may be cicadas on Nantucket Island. Afterall the habitat is probably identical to that on Martha's Vineyard.

In addition, after searching for months for information on the cicadas of Nantucket Island, I was coming up short. I contacted all the professionals that I know of who study cicadas. I searched through countless papers dating back to the 1900's and I could find no information on cicadas for Nantucket Island.

I decided that I would plan a trip to Nantucket for next year.

Where is Nantucket?

Nantucket Island is located approximately 30 miles off the southern coast of Cape Cod. It also comprises two smaller islands off the western edge of the main island known as Tuckernuck and Muskeget. You can get there by taking either the Hyline or Steamship Authority Ferries. It was formed when the last North American Glacier receided many thousandds of years ago.

Through my regular 9 - 5 job I met a business acquaintance who happened to live on Nantucket Island. I told him of my interest in acquiring information on the Cicadas of Nantucket Island. He managed to put me in touch with Dr. Bob Kennedy, Natural Science Director for the Maria Mitchell Association.

When I emailed Bob he suggested that I apply for a grant through the Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative program. They will give you up to $1500.00 for expenses and if possible you can actually stay on Nantucket Island for free.

So I submitted my proposal which was approved and I was on my way to Nantucket Island. Below is an account of my 1 week stay from August 18 to 25, 2007.

August 18th, 2007 - Arrival

08/18/07 - I arrived early on Nantucket and immediately checked in at the Maria Mitchell Museum just on the outskirts of downtown Nantucket. I met Andrew McKenna as well as others. After discussing probable places where cicadas may be I set out to see what I could find on the island.

My first stop was at one of the Nantucket Island Land Bank Commission’s areas known as Area A. It is off of Hummock Pond Road. While it was a bit breezy it was still a nice and sunny day. One of the first things I did was turn over a downed log (to see if I could find some nymphs) but all I found was a few Eastern Red-backed Salamanders.

I found other fauna as well like this Green Darner and some skippers. I was disappointed at not hearing any cicadas calling though. This area seemed to be ideal habitat because of the copses of deciduous and pine tree stands over sandy soil everywhere but nothing was heard calling and there were no exuvia to be found.

This area also has wide expanses of tall grass meadows bordered by low bushes. The tall grass meadows were interesting and many stridulating insects could be heard. I have recently learned of a little grass cicada in Virginia known as Cicadetta calliope. Due to the pristine habitats here on Nantucket this would be an ideal setting for this little grass cicada but none were found. I suspect that I may have arrived on the island a bit too late because Cicadetta calliope are known to emerge around the end of May and dont really stay around all that long.

Area A is loaded with walking trails and borders Hummock Pond which pretty much stretches from the northern point of the island almost all the way to the ocean in the south. Walking along the trails I saw lots of flying grasshoppers including this pair mating. Look at how large the females are compared to the males.

Below is a nice closeup head shot of a Green Darner that I caught with my net. Click the thumbnail below for a closeup view.

Cicadas are here! T. lyricen heard calling.

I went back to Maria Mitchell and was surprised to hear the calling of Tibicen lyricen right on Vestal Street outside the Maria Mitchell Museum. Well, it looks like the questions of whether cicadas are on Nantucket have been answered. They are here, now the question is, how did they get here and exactly how many other species are here?

8/19/07 – T. chloromera and T. lryicen on Nantucket Island.

Today started out to be a rather great day. Around 10:30 am in the morning many T. lyricen were calling around the Maria Mitchell Museum campus. I even captured the call of one specimen way up high in a tree. While you can’t see the specimen, in this video you can clearly make out the call. Click the thumbnail to the left to watch the movie.

Shortly thereafter I heard the distinct and unmistakable call of Tibicen chloromera on Nantucket Island. Again, this species came as a total and complete surprise being so far north, and now east of any known established populations. This is the second documented species we have for Nantucket Island. Could there be others? In this video, which was taken at the end of Vestal Street in a Locust Tree is the call of Tibicen chloromera, unfortunately, I was only able to record it during the middle of it’s call, but it is definitely distinctive and unmistakable. Click the thumbnail to the right to have a listen.

Prospect Hill Cemetery

Perhaps the largest cemetery on Nantucket Island. It is located right outside the town of Nantucket between Milk Street and Joy Street. It is an easy walk from Vestal street which is where the Maria Mitchell Science museum is located. Cemeteries are one of my favorite spots for hunting for cicadas due to the low and minimal undergrowth and well established trees. It seemed a bit on the cool side this day but there were still some wildlife around like this rabbit that I snapped a picture of as well as a few other insects including a Great Black Wasp carcas Sphex pensylvanicus . I wonder how rabbits got on the island. Maybe during transport like the grey squirrel.

There didn’t seem to be many trees at this cemetery but it was a large one and the soil was sandy which T. auletes likes. I remember hearing T. auletes calling at Oak Grove Cemetery on Martha’s Vineyard but alas, there seemed to be nothing here. No exuvia were found and no cicadas could be heard calling. I did manage to capture this photo of a carpenter bee resting on a headstone however. It looks like it is covered in something, maybe some sort of mite infestation.

State Forest off Lover’s Lane – proved to be another ideal habitat for cicadas, especially T. canicularis because of the huge pine tree stands but unfortunately, nothing was calling and no signs of exuvia were found. I did manage to snap a photo of a daddy longlegs or a Harvestman if you prefer.

Camp Richard – While walking through the State Forest I stumbled upon a Boy Scout camp. It is owned by the Nantucket District Boy scouts of America. This is perhaps only one or two camps on the entire island. But this is a private camp for Boy Scouts. You cannot camp anywhere on Nantucket. Again, there were nice meadows and Scrub Pine Tree forests with some deciduous trees mixed in. But again no cicadas were heard calling. For your enjoyment here are a pair of Robber Flies mating that I snapped a photo of. These look to be an Efferia species.

I decided to try light trapping. The evening was decidedly cool but I wanted to try my luck with the traps. I used three light traps each with a different light source, Mercury Vapor, Halogen and Black Light. I set them up in the Maria Mitchell Museum Yard and to see what we could bring in. I left these on over night.