About The Massachusetts Cicadas Web Site

The Different Species of Cicadas in Massachusetts

Living in Massachusetts, unfortunately, there aren't many species of Cicadas to study so this site will be focused on studying the cicadas of New England along taking part in field trips to other states and studying the cicadas there.

So far, I have managed to document several different species of Cicadas in Massachusetts. Those being Tibicen auletes, Tibicen lyricen, Tibicen canicularis, Tibicen chloromera and Okanagana rimosa. Massachusetts even has Periodical Cicadas from Brood XIV which is a 17 year variety.

Since 2004, Okanagana rimosa has proved to be an elusive little insect. Fortunately, in the summer of 2007 shortly after my return trip from the mid west to study Brood XIII periodical cicadas, I did in fact find a sustainable population of Okanagana rimosa in a town in central Massachusetts known as Montague. More information on this interesting periodic-like little insect can be found here.

Also Brood XIV periodical Cicadas, a species of Cicadas that emerge once every 17 years also makes an appearance in Massachusetts along Cape Cod, Barnstable Plymouth counties. These are not scheduled to appear here until 2008. To learn more about periodical cicadas go to my Brood X Magicicada site. Brood X Magicicadas appeared in the mid-atlantic states in 2004. You can also go to information on Brood XIII Periodical Cicadas here. I was part of a distribution mapping project through the National Geographic Society. I worked closely with the fine folks at U.C. Storrs Ecology and Evolutionary Biology department on this project.

The Distribution Mapping project will commence in 2008 for Brood XIV. You will be able to report your periodical cicada sightings by filling in an online form right through this web site.

Mission Statement

To take careful field notes and document everything that I see as it pertains to Cicadas in Massachusetts, New England and the rest of the United States.

I will use this web site as a tool to compile accurate information contributed from the public to share with all. All data will be checked and verified as accurate before publication and to share this data with other researchers and the public alike.

But I'm going to do it with a twist. Suffice it to say, I'm going to try to use a fun writing style which I hope you will enjoy. I'm not going to make this a very dry scientific web site (those are reserved for published papers) with very dry terms and scientific mumbo-jumbo quite frankly because I consider myself at this stage as being an Independent Researcher.

However, I will provide notes and acknowledge and bow to the wisdom of all those Entomologists who want to steer me on the straight and narrow path to enlightenment.

WHAT YOU WILL FIND

I hope to accomplish the following:

Conduct a daily journal of my Cicada surveys and note anything unusual.
Provide many pictures and videos that you can view throughout the web site.
Provide lots of written information.
Document the different species of Tibicen Cicadas and other species that I find.
Note any variations within a species.
Study and observe behaviors before during and after the molt (eclose) process.
Note any deformities that I discover.
Provide information on successful places to collect Cicadas in Massachusetts.
Provide information on the best methods to employ while catching and collecting Cicadas.
Provide information on the best methods to follow in preserving your Cicada specimens.
To contribute the data that I collect to other scientists with similar research interests.
To publish updated information on the distribution of Cicadas in Massachusetts and New England.