Friday, July 12, 2019

Nature!

Fair Warning its a bug!

Since moving to Kentucky we have had the pleasure of finding the nymph shells of the Cicada in the yard. Most years just a handful. In 2017 there were quite a few. It seems that the maple tree in the backyard is a favorite place.

I have been trying to find and capture a cicada either emerging or drying. Cicadas are notoriously shy bugs. If you spot one in a tree, they tend to move to the other side of the branch and stay out of sight.

The particular cicada we have here is a beautiful one, with black eyes and lime green wings and body.

Bugs are not my favorite thing... puppies and kittens yes, but bugs I find fascinating from a look and study point of view with a camera. Touching no thanks.

But the other evening, while gardening I spied a nymph husk on the playset (where we usually find them) and the adult emerging!!! Grabbed the camera and started taking pictures. I really wanted to stay outside long enough to see it move off its shell, but the skeeters and midgies were making a meal of me and finally had to call it.

I am so happy to have at least captured this much. And moving forward its all about the bug so feel free to abandon the ship.




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Watching how slowly this process takes is amazing. 

Pushing out

The wings 

Expanding the wings

Wings really getting longer

Starting to dry

Stunning in clarity and color

Nearly ready to fly
Such an  amazing thing to watch over the course of about 30 minutes. The temperature outside at 6 pm was 89° and 65% humidity. Just plain hot and wet. 

More later... from the farm soon!

Beth


2 comments:

  1. Cool looking bug. I remember the shells when I was a kid. Not many around here.

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  2. Absolutely amazing. Prettier than they sound. I have tinnitus and their sound is the same only louder. We had cottonwood trees along a ditch in Phoenix when I was very little and that's where they hung out. Driving by was torturous. Maybe that's where I "caught" my tinnitus... LOL

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