We are starting to see fairly decent numbers of cicadas here in eastern Pennsylvania - but still not the huge emergence we would expect from the number of chimneys / holes we've been finding. If you look at this image you can see just how many we're expecting and I will keep going out at night until these individuals start to emerge.
When we were out looking for emerging nymphs we were getting disappointed that we still weren't seeing any of the chimneys being opened in the areas we've been watching - to be fair, they are fairly deep in the forest and our temperature checks show the ground is still only at about 62ºF and not the 64ºF they need for emergence.
We were about to leave the area when I heard this rustling through the leaves coming from an area in which we hadn't checked for holes because there is too much leaf litter. I assumed at first that it was grasshoppers or katydids eating leaves or something, but it sounded a bit different. We stopped to listen. Although the nymphs in the forest were not emerging, this little area is in a clearing, so the ground temperature is likely to be higher here. As I was videoing and trying to record the sound we realized it was probably cicadas trying to get through the leaves and make their way from the clearing and over to the trees... then we saw them! They are excellent little diggers, but boy do they struggle with walking across the forest floor.
Have a look and you can see the moment we saw the first cicadas making their way out of their holes! Make sure to turn up the volume!
As I was trying to video the emerging nymphs I wasn't paying enough attention to what was going on right at my own feet... and when I looked down a found one (and then two) little cicadas that were climbing my boots. I had been so careful about keeping my feet still, so I would squish any nymphs, that the nymphs were starting to think I was a tree. I imagine the excellent camouflage of my boots didn't help. :P Luckily the rubber was a bit too hard to grab onto or I might have been stuck in the forest for a long time.
As I returned to filming some of the emerging cicadas I again stopped paying attention to my feet ... and I was slowly being surrounded.
We will be heading back out this evening and and still hoping to record the mass emergence we're expecting!
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