Lantern fly hatch in central PA is back

[dryflyguy]

Dear Board,

Even when they were bad locally a couple of years ago, I rarely saw any on my property. The occasional one or two, but 2 miles away there were swarms.

I guess bugs know I don't like them, so they deliberately avoid me!

On a side note, I've seen insects that look almost exactly like cicadas both on my property and nearby. The difference was they had light-colored bodies, as in almost grey or silver, and their wings were clear. They were the same general size and shape and had the same wing structure as cicadas.

Anyone have a guess as to what they were? Are their annual cicadas?

Regards,

Tim Murphy

Annual cicadas?

 

[tomgamber]

Cruise just pulled out of Baltimore port. We have them on board. BTW...

 

[TimMurphy]

Annual cicadas?

Dear dryflyguy,

Yes, they are a real thing though annual is a bit of a stretch. Typically, they take 2 to 5 years emerge. The big broods are on 13- or 17-year cycles. But cicadas do appear annually in many places. Down yonder in the south they call 'em June Bugs. I reckon that was what I have seen recently.

Annual cicada - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Regards,

Tim Murphy

 

[Bamboozle]

Dear dryflyguy,

Yes, they are a real thing though annual is a bit of a stretch. Typically, they take 2 to 5 years emerge. The big broods are on 13- or 17-year cycles. But cicadas do appear annually in many places. Down yonder in the south they call 'em June Bugs. I reckon that was what I have seen recently...

Annual cicadas are typically much larger than periodical cicadas and don't have the orange hue or red eyes.

I grew up with them in Delco and I hear them on our property every year with August being the "loudest" month. As a kid I used love catching them and scaring the "girls," something you could refer to as "bugging Junes or Janes."

About 10 years ago I went to grab one I saw struggling on the ground at a parking area at Clarks Creek until I realized it was being attacked by a cicada killer wasp!!

Speaking of bugs...

I've already been hearing a few katydids at night for at least a week and saw one hopping away from my mower yesterday when I was cutting the grass...

 

[wildtrout2]

About 10 years ago I went to grab one I saw struggling on the ground at a parking area at Clarks Creek until I realized it was being attacked by a cicada killer wasp!!

And, they are big. Guess you have to be to take on a Cicada. Saw this one yesterday.

 

[Bamboozle]

And, they are big. Guess you have to be to take on a Cicada. Saw this one yesterday.

Supposedly the male cicada killer doesn't have a stinger but according to the kid folklore I believed in (and still believe when convenient) they are at the "tippy-top" of the Delco deadly bee list...

So I won't go near one...

 

[wildtrout2]

Supposedly the male cicada killer doesn't have a stinger but according to the kid folklore I believed in (and still believe when convenient) they are at the "tippy-top" of the Delco deadly bee list...

So I won't go near one...

The one in that pic did have a stinger. I actually saw it sticking out, for whatever reason.