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Once Every 17 Years


Once Every 17 Years
Photo Information
Copyright: Robin O'Connell (roconnell) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 155 W: 0 N: 29] (244)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2004-05
Categories: Insects
Camera: Olympus Stylus 80Wide P&S
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2004-10-23 1:03
Viewed: 1286
Points: 16
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Members of Brood X. A brood is a group or age class of periodical cicadas that emerge in the same area during the same year. The Brood number is used to track the emergence of a group. Brood X, whose range runs from the Chesapeake Bay to the edge of the Great Plains, is the world's largest simultaneously emerging population of Magicicada.

Periodical cicadas, appear in huge numbers - 100,000 to 1 million per acre, but only stay a month and do not return for 13 or 17 years, depending on the species.

Female cicadas that slit the bark of twigs to create nests for their eggs. Those "oviposition scars" sometimes kill branch tips, which dry out and often break off.

Cicada eggs that are about to hatch produce a rain of nymphs that fall to the ground, burrow in and attach to the fine roots of trees. There they consume a thin mixture of water, minerals, and simple carbon- and nitrogen-containing compounds that the tree pulls up from the ground for its own sustenance. This fluid is the sole nutrient that takes the nymphs from their barely visible hatchling size to the noisy, 1 1/2-inch-long adults that emerge 17 years later.

This mating couple of (Magicicada spp.)was by the curb-side.
japie, sandpiper2, Luc, Nephrotome2, Leace has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To gerhardt: More about Periodial Cicadasroconnell 2 10-23 15:15
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Critiques [Translate]

What an interesting composition. It sounds like a very rare find, I wish you would tell us more on the matter in your note though. The yellow paint goes well with the wing colour of the Cicada. :) Nice catch.

Looked at this first of all, left it, came back to it. Not sure what to make of this. The picture is very eyecatching with that slash of yellow, which matches the yellow on the cicada.

  • Great 
  • japie Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1814 W: 100 N: 1904] (5187)
  • [2004-10-23 4:28]

Besides the image being great, your note tickled my interest in this insect. The image is sharp, wit the DOF and color great. Thanks for enriching my knowledge.

Killer note!

Strange place to mate! I didn't like the image at first, then I read the note, now I know what the yellow is. Maybe would have been useful to crop it out though, I find it distracting.

Hi Robin
Fascinating note. I battled some to see both insects. Maybe a slight adjustment in PS will cire, but I am not a boffin. Some fill flash would help, even the use of a reflactor.

Interesting composition with the yellow, which I guess is the yellow stripe on the road. With the black frame it turns the whole thing into something resembling abstract art. And that's at least different among all these traditional nature shots.

  • Great 
  • PDP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2951 W: 366 N: 3779] (11763)
  • [2004-10-24 9:33]

On a yellow line? You could have called this one "No Parking Here" :-)

Well seen Robin, I think the focus is a little soft on them, but it's a good note and a good capture to see them mating.

Points tomorrow.

You had a powerful composition for this couple. Strange but beautiful shot.

  • Great 
  • Luc Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2052 W: 315 N: 4301] (14719)
  • [2005-12-12 20:30]

Personal assessment of the photo: very good.
Capacity of evocation in me: strong.
Strong visual impact.
Personal assessment of the note: complete.
Thank you very much Robin.

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