Summary
Periodical cicadas (Magicicada spp.) rarely flew distances greater than 50 m across an open field or along a forest edge. Most cicadas caught after flying 50 m or more were females and all of these females had mated. Flights were most common when adults were 2 to 3 weeks old. Among insects in general, most dispersing individuals are barely post-teneral or extremely young. Cicadas are discussed as an exception to this generality. Both sexes of cicadas are attracted by the male song to chorusing centers for mating (Alexander and Moore 1958). Trees which were chorusing centers had more eggnests than those which were not, suggesting a lack of postmating dispersal from the chorusing trees.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alexander RD, Moore TE (1958) Studies on the acoustical behavior of seventeen-year cicadas. Ohio J Sci 58:107–127
Craig FW (1941) Observations on the periodical cicada. J Econ Ent 34:122–123
Dingle H (1972) Migration studies of insects. Science 175:1327–1335
Dunning DC, Byers JA, Zanger CD (1979) Courtship in two species of periodical cicadas, Magicicada septendecim and Magicicada cassini. Anim Behav 27:1073–1090
Dybas HS, Lloyd M (1974) The habitats of 17-year periodical cicadas. Ecol Monogr 44:279–324
Graham C, Cochran AB (1954) The periodical cicada in Maryland in 1953. J Econ Ent 47:242–244
Hamilton DW, Cleveland ML Periodical cicadas in 1963, Broods 23 and 3. (ms)
Heath JE (1967) Temperature responses of the periodical ‘17-year’ cicada, Magicicada cassini. Am Midl Nat 17:64–76
Johnson CG (1969) Migration and dispersal of insects by flight. Methuen London
Johnson CG (1963) Physiological factors in insect migration by flight. Nature 198:423–427
Kiester AR (1979) Conspecifics as cues: A mechanism for habitat selection in the Panamanian grass anole (Anolis auratus). Behav Ecol Seciobiol 5:323–330
Lloyd M, White JA (1976a) Sympatry of periodical cicada broods and the hypothetical four-year acceleration. Evol 30:786–801
Lloyd M, White JA (1976b) On the oviposition of 13-year versus 17-year periodical cicadas of the same species. J NY Ent Soc 84:148–155
Lyr v H, Hoffman G, Dohse K (1963) Über den Einfluß unterschiedlicher Beschattung auf die Stoffproduktion von Jungpflanzen einiger Waldbäume I., II. Mitteilung, Flora, Jena 153:291–311; 155:305–330
Marlatt CL (1907) The periodical cicada. U.S. Dep Agric Bur Ent Bull 71:1–181
Marlatt CL (1908) A successful seventeen-year breeding record for the periodical cicada. Proc Ent Soc Wash 9:16–18
Simon CM, Karban R, Lloyd M (1981) Patchiness, density and aggregative behavior in sympatric allochronic populations of 17-year cicadas. Ecol 62:in press
Snodgrass RE (1921) The seventeen-year locust. Smithson. Rep., 1919 1919:381–409
Soper RS, Delyzer AJ, Smith LFR (1976) The genus Massospora entomopathogenic for cicadas. Part II. Biology of Massospora levispora and its host Okanagana rimosa, with notes on Massospora cicadina on the periodical cicadas. Ann Ent Soc Amer 69:89–95
Stanton N Migration of the periodical cicada, Magicicada septendecim. (ms)
White JA (1973) Viable hybrid young from crossmated periodical cicadas. Ecol 54:573–580
White JA (1980) Resource partitioning by ovipositing cicadas. Amer Nat 115:1–28
White JA, Lloyd M (1975) Growth rates of 17- and 13-year periodical cicadas. Am Midl Nat 94:127–143
White JA, Lloyd M (1979) 17-year cicadas emerging after 18 years: A new brood? Evol 33:1193–1199
White JA, Strehl CE (1978) Xylem feeding by periodical cicada nymphs on tree roots. Ecol Ent 3:323–327
White JA, Lloyd M, Zar JH (1979) Faulty eclosion in crowded suburban periodical cicadas: populations out of control. Ecol 60:305–315
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Karban, R. Flight and dispersal of periodical cicadas. Oecologia 49, 385–390 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00347604
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00347604