Free Concert in Vincent

     I was sent to Vincent, Alabama this week this week to work and was greeted with a loud noise.   I got out of the truck and though it was a siren, then a storm warning...  that didn't seem right either.  The noise was everywhere, at least from the Vincent city limits north.  I started asking customers, "what's making that noise?"  One lady said, "I don't know, but I think they came out of the ground.  There were seed pods everywhere!"  I looked around and didn't see any "seed pods".  At the next house a guy told me, "don't you know?  They're locusts, brought in by the wind from Mississippi during that last storm.  Farming is over here!  It's over!"  Plus, they all said, "I've never heard anything like it"!

     Finally, I caught one and decided to make it a star!  His first modeling pics are here below.   I named him Steve.
     Steve is strutting here on top of a old Bellsouth pedestal.  He is wearing his stunning black attire trimed in brilliant orange.  The ensemble is complete with orange pads on his front legs!







Steve is one of 60 species/subspecies of the Cicada family(Cicadidae).  He is one of the 17 year periodical cicadas of eastern North America called magicicadas.   They don't sting or bite, they just sing, mate, eat, lay eggs & die!  Constantly, without a break.  They are also about half the size of our summer cicada's but their numbers are mind boggling.  There can be as many as 1.5 million of these per acre.  Naturally, they're singing to bring in the babes!  Drives the girls crazy.  Hey, 17 years is a long time!   You can listen to their song here.

     This is what's left of their humble beginning.  Again, very similar to ours but smaller and found everywhere!  They only live a few weeks, then reemerge to memory challenged people who have never heard them before!
     If you'd like to read more about this interesting insect created by our Lord, Wikipedia has a good article here. 

     These last four were taken by Travis Constance.  He found one just emerging.  Notice how quickly it's ready to fly!  Looks like it comes complete with shades!