Cicadas are weird, unique, and actually benefit the ecosystem! To be a part of their wild emergence pattern is something to remember for a lifetime. That it why I created the line of Cicada products to highlight the fun side of these quirky insects with beautiful golden glassy wings.
There are several types of Cicadas in America. One is the annual cicada that emerges every year and lives among all of the other insects with a life cycle every year. Then there is the periodical Cicada that belongs to the genus Magicicada. They are often confused with locusts because they emerge in incredibly large numbers all at once. The reason for this is because it is a survival tactic to outnumber predators so greatly that the next generation of 13 or 17 year periodical cicadas have a good chance of survival.
We are currently in a special time period this summer 2024, because two massive 13 and 17 year broods (XIX XIII) are emerging at the same time in the middle of the country. It is a rare and strange event. The buzzing fills the air with alien noise and the cicadas are seemingly everywhere. I remember my first major experience with this during my childhood and because of that, these strange insects have a special place in my heart. They also provide a lot of food for wildlife that will trickle down to a healthy year for many of the animals and birds that are struggling with a disappearing habitat or ecological change.
Soon the big Cicada show will be over but these pretty pins and stickers last longer and don't make any noise.
Enjoy nature my friends -
Love,
Karin