Periodical Cicadas: The Brood X Edition

by Gene Kritsky

Every seventeen years, millions of cicadas rise from the soil of the eastern United States to fly, mate, and fill the air with their noisy song. Periodical Cicadas: The Brood X Edition Black and White edition provides a less costly examination of how the study of Brood X cicadas shaped our understanding of these "bugs of history." First documented in Philadelphia in 1715, Brood X was and is the largest of the 17-year cicada broods, occurring in 15 states that include several major cities. Periodical Cicadas: The Brood X Edition Black and White discusses the natural history, evolution, behavior, and distribution of periodical cicadas and provides an overview of the eighteen emergences that have occurred since the brood was first reported. It offers a perfect starting point to learn about these insects and to enjoy them as one of the wonders of our natural world.Gene Kritsky, Ph.D., is Dean of the School of Behavioral and Natural Sciences at Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is the author of several books, including The Quest for the Perfect Hive and The Tears of Re: Beekeeping in Ancient Egypt (both published by Oxford University Press). He has researched periodical cicadas for over 45 years, publishing 33 papers and three books on the insects.

Genres: Nonfiction

157 pages, Paperback

Published February 26, 2021

Reviews

[Cheezsnack]

This is a short book. Probably a third is citations for further deep dive into cicadas. It gives a brief synopsis of life cycle, anatomy, etc. my favorite part is the author tracks historical references to each of the 17 year cycle emergences and how they further the understanding of this tiny beast. Love the pilgrim reference, where they are literally like WTF, we’ve never seen these bugs ever and they are like fucking everywhere and now they are fucking gone. Like what the biblical fuck!

Then you have an overlapping 13 year brood. So this little beast is confusing the fuck out of the handful of motherfuckers staying alive enough to track and study it. Yah good stuff. Very limited but still tasty. Take a little bite and support an obviously self-published indi-author who is showing his passion here.

[morninglightmama]

I read these 100ish pages in the car en route to what would hopefully be a Brood X adventure, and while it was cool to confirm that I knew a bit about the periodical cicadas that I first experienced in Maryland in 2004, it was also awesome to learn even more. I especially enjoyed the historical records of cicada emergences and the ways in which people described them. Timely read for my MD buddies, if anyone's interested!

[Alicia]

Interested in chasing down periodical cicada Brood X this year? Or just interested in periodical cicadas in general? Look no further, this is the book for you! This little book has brief overviews of cicada morphology and life cycle, but the majority of the book is dedicated to relating the history of Brood X emergences since the first recorded instance in 1634. (Of course, undoubtedly all of the indigenous Nations whose land overlapped with that of these insects have oral history going back much further, and I wish we had more information on that and on what these Native communities thought of these insects, though book does mention that many indigenous groups used them as a food resource).

[Pikaia]

Cicadas have always been a big fascination of mine, particularly as I'm from the UK and the only known native species of cicada in the British Isles (Cicadetta montana) hasn't actually been seen since the late 90s (if I'm recalling this correctly).

Whilst it doesn't go massively in-depth in most cases, this is a neat little book to read through in one sitting. The history of the recorded brood emergences in the United States (most notably, the eponymous Brood X) was a particularly interesting chapter.

If you even have the most remote interest in these buzzing Hemipteran delights, I recommend this.

[James]

An interesting, informative book about the biology and history of the Brood X periodical cicada that are making their appearance in 2021. The observations of settlers and early studiers of the often-misnamed "locust" are really interesting. A good introductory text about this unique insect.

[Will Hamlin]

cool