The Dog Days of Summer
The dog day cicada, or Neotibicen canicularis is so named because they come out annually during the hottest months of summer – July and August. During this time is when Sirius, the Canis Major constellation is most prominent. Canicula means dog star in Latin.
A Cicada? What Is That?
If you live in the west, you, like me, have maybe heard of a cicada, but haven’t actually seen one or heard it firsthand.
When I was walking my dogs last summer in the early evenings, I kept hearing this pleasant but almost eerie sound. What the heck is that? It was too late in the day for birds, but the sound kind of reminded me of birds. I am probably one of the few that actually loves the song of the cicada. It is a high pitch trilling sound that starts off kind of strong, gets louder, and then just stops. It goes from one tree to the next.
But again, having no firsthand knowledge or experience with this insect or it’s music, I was dumbfounded as to what it was. What is making this song? I kept looking up into the trees, but saw nothing, other than the foliage of the branches.
Then I found out from my neighbor (who definitely does not like “creepy crawly things”) that maybe it was cicadas? That’s when I googled it and found out more about cicadas.
Longing
I wanted to see one of these insects. I had a profound longing to see one. I kept looking up in the trees, every time I went out for a walk, hoping and praying I’d see one. Either they are really small, or they have excellent camouflage.
Trapped In The Mailroom
I was walking into my apartment one evening and, oh my gosh!!! One was in the mailroom! It was flying into the walls. I wanted to save it, but I wasn’t sure if it bit or stung. I ‘ran upstairs’ (actually took the elevator,) grabbed my phone and looked online to see if cicadas bite or not. They’re actually very docile.
I was finally able to catch this little guy, or rather big guy, and photograph it, take a video and then find a safe place for it outside.
I was absolutely enamored by the Dog Day Cicada – it’s army green coloring, it’s transparent wings, and it’s huge black beady eyes – LOVE! It was just so incredibly fascinating to see this bug.
Learn More About The Dog Day Cicada
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