Cicadas are everywhere!

[Guest]

I know most Cicada patterns call for lots of Black and Orange, but Sunday I found three in the midst of hatching on one of the trees in my front yard and they were very light in color. I didn't think much of it figuring they may darken as their exoskeletons harden, but yesterday I found one on my truck that was fully developed and it's underside was pale grey/white along the thorax and the sides of the abdomen, and just had a strip of black along the center of the abdomen. The wings are pale green and there are red/orange/green highlights along most of the body and underside of the thorax.

 

I'm thinking a Madam X done with natural deer hair and a black thorax would do the trick very nicely.

[sulfernut 0]

The Cicada's over in my neck of the woods have very little orange in them as well!! Problem is,the fish in our area (especially the trout) don't seem to give a hoot one way or the other!! Every time I have seen one on the water around here,it has thrashed and paddled it's way out of sight,completely unmolested!!

 

I think they scare the trout around here!! :hyst: :hyst: :hyst:

 

Sulphernut

 

 

[Fred H. 0]

First off. Great photos.The cicadas that are black and orange are periodical cicadas. We don't have them in our part of the country.The ones you photoed are 17yr cicadas .They have other names I can't remember. They are for the most part as you see them . However they will darken and the wings will have green and black veins.

And you're seeing flies tied in black and orange while your seeing an insect in black tan an olive.Thats funny, I use to see crawfish patterns with orange and I had never seen a crawfish with orange on them until this year Overbrook and I were in a crawfish swap and he showed a picture of some crawfish some kids had caught and guess what ,orange was the most predominent color. I guess you really do have to match the hatch.

[mswaterfowler 0]

Down here, I have been starting to here them but have yet to see them.

[cruncher 0]

Our big rush was last year. Creepy looking fellas.......

 

[Guest]

Mark,

 

the cicadas you photographed we get every year but no where near as many as we get of the orange/black variety.

 

We had a big emergence this year where I live, they were everywhere. I few years ago one of the largest broods in the world emerged in downtown Cincy(and surrounding areas) and it was unlike anything I have ever seen!

 

 

[Guest]

sulfernut - y'know, I experience that too,with caterpillars. I have NEVER seen a fish take a caterpillar despite the many I've sent to a premature and watery end!

 

Fred H - thanks! It was just last year that I first saw a rust colored crayfish in the wild so yeah, I know what you mean. That's part of the reason suggestive flies are my favorites because there's really SO much out there. I respect those who can quickly "match the hatch" a great deal, but I'll probably never be one of those folks.

 

mswaterfowler - I picked up the one on my truck mirror (third picture) and it started trying to call even while I held it. The vibration is powerful. I'm kicking myself for not taking a picture of its belly.

 

cruncher - in a word: AAAAAHHHHHHH! :bugeyes:

 

Smalliehunter - speaking of lots of bugs, I found those on the tree on Sunday night. I found the one on my truck Monday night. Just before I found it the security guard in our building caught a Praying Mantis. This morning I saw a neat Caddis fly on my rear window that had antennae at least 4 times the length of its body, and my truck is coated with tiny exoskeletons EVERY morning. This has been the craziest three weeks!

 

 

[Joe Hard 0]

They are here big time as well. I found one in town the other day, dark olive over a bleached out light olive. The veins in the wings are olive. This is the time of year for lots of "big bugs'. I was thinking about some sort of chernoble ant varriation. Gotta love top water action!!!

[Guest]

Oh yeah, definitely time to fish the surface!

[vaflyguy 0]

Anyone recollect the 17 year runs? I've seen it twice now, last one was summer 04'. Heck even the hawks were cashing in on these dumb bugs! It sure did create a wealth of food for one summer resulting in bumper crops of other critters. We don't generally blow away foreigners with our local wildlife and anomalies, but the 17 year locust sent em all into shock! They make great BB gun targets too.

[wernstriumph 0]

In Jersey we had 'em in '79 and '96. Alot smaller than the black and green ones we get every year. Some one once told me there was a species with an eleven year cycle too but I've only seen the yearly and seventeen year cycles.