Cicadas have invaded the Louisville area over the last few weeks, and they’re not finished yet.You may not be seeing a ton of them, but some people are.And while you may be thinking you see them every summer, WLKY’s Caray Grace is answering the question: “What’s the difference between periodical cicadas and annual cicadas?””The annual cicadas are larger. So these are 17-year cicadas,” said Blair Leano-Helvey, owner of Idlewild Butterfly Farm.The cicadas we are seeing now emerge every 17 years.According to Leano-Helvey, they are known as periodical cicadas, and they’re much smaller than the summer cicadas we see every year.”They’re a little bit delayed due to the cooler temperatures. So as we get hotter, it would probably be a lot more,” Leano-Helvey said.And when they fully emerge, they will be ready to mate.Leano-Helvey says the male and female cicadas will mate and she will lay her eggs in the trees. When those nymphs emerge, they will fall to the ground down to the tree roots and in 17 years, they’re back.”How do they know it’s been 17 years? So one of the theories is the xylem they feed on, the fluid in the roots of the trees and the change in the viscosity or the change of amino acids,” Leano-Helvey said.Fun fact: Cicadas are safe to eat… I’m not sure why you would want to do that, but they are a good source of protein.Have your own questions to submit?
Cicadas have invaded the Louisville area over the last few weeks, and they’re not finished yet.
You may not be seeing a ton of them, but some people are.
And while you may be thinking you see them every summer, WLKY’s Caray Grace is answering the question: “What’s the difference between periodical cicadas and annual cicadas?”
“The annual cicadas are larger. So these are 17-year cicadas,” said Blair Leano-Helvey, owner of Idlewild Butterfly Farm.
The cicadas we are seeing now emerge every 17 years.
According to Leano-Helvey, they are known as periodical cicadas, and they’re much smaller than the summer cicadas we see every year.
“They’re a little bit delayed due to the cooler temperatures. So as we get hotter, it would probably be a lot more,” Leano-Helvey said.
And when they fully emerge, they will be ready to mate.
Leano-Helvey says the male and female cicadas will mate and she will lay her eggs in the trees. When those nymphs emerge, they will fall to the ground down to the tree roots and in 17 years, they’re back.
“How do they know it’s been 17 years? So one of the theories is the xylem they feed on, the fluid in the roots of the trees and the change in the viscosity or the change of amino acids,” Leano-Helvey said.
Fun fact: Cicadas are safe to eat… I’m not sure why you would want to do that, but they are a good source of protein.
Have your own questions to submit?
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