Posted on May 25, 2021
Brood X Cicadas Are Busy And So Are The Scientists Who Study Them
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https://www.npr.org/2021/05/25/ [login to see] /the-arrival-of-brood-x-cicadas-kicks-off-woodstock-for-bug-scientists
Millions upon millions of Brood X cicadas are emerging, and entomologist Marianne Alleyne didn't want to miss it.
"I didn't see it 17 years ago, and I wanted to experience it," says Alleyne. "My brother-in-law actually put it perfectly: 'This is your entomology Woodstock, isn't it?'"
Brood X isn't the only group of cicadas that spends nearly two decades underground, but it is the biggest and most famous. The return of these enormous black bugs only lasts about six weeks and is a rare chance for researchers to try to understand everything from the creature's basic biological design to the impact of its mass appearance on other living creatures.
Millions upon millions of Brood X cicadas are emerging, and entomologist Marianne Alleyne didn't want to miss it.
"I didn't see it 17 years ago, and I wanted to experience it," says Alleyne. "My brother-in-law actually put it perfectly: 'This is your entomology Woodstock, isn't it?'"
Brood X isn't the only group of cicadas that spends nearly two decades underground, but it is the biggest and most famous. The return of these enormous black bugs only lasts about six weeks and is a rare chance for researchers to try to understand everything from the creature's basic biological design to the impact of its mass appearance on other living creatures.
Brood X Cicadas Are Busy And So Are The Scientists Who Study Them
Posted from npr.org
Science
Wildlife
Posted 3 y ago
Responses: 2
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
"Periodical cicadas are generally a super-difficult creature for scientists to study because the insects spend such a long time hidden in the dirt. "It makes it really challenging to do manipulative experiments on insects that have such a brief time above ground," says Lill, adding that an academic research career might only span two 17-year cicada cycles.
"There's just an awful lot of underground stuff that is a mystery," agrees Weiss. She ticks off a bunch of unknowns: After eggs hatch and tiny cicada nymphs burrow into the soil, how do they find roots to feed on? How much do they move around while they're down there? And while they seem to register changes in tree sap to monitor seasonal changes and the passage of time, how exactly do they count the years?
"So many of the questions require these extremely long-term investments in experiments," says Lill. "It's just really hard to do for any type of scientist on typical grant funding."
"Periodical cicadas are generally a super-difficult creature for scientists to study because the insects spend such a long time hidden in the dirt. "It makes it really challenging to do manipulative experiments on insects that have such a brief time above ground," says Lill, adding that an academic research career might only span two 17-year cicada cycles.
"There's just an awful lot of underground stuff that is a mystery," agrees Weiss. She ticks off a bunch of unknowns: After eggs hatch and tiny cicada nymphs burrow into the soil, how do they find roots to feed on? How much do they move around while they're down there? And while they seem to register changes in tree sap to monitor seasonal changes and the passage of time, how exactly do they count the years?
"So many of the questions require these extremely long-term investments in experiments," says Lill. "It's just really hard to do for any type of scientist on typical grant funding."
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