17-Year Cicada Addendum

17-Year Cicada After Molt

This cicada has molted, crawled out of its skin.  It is extremely vulnerable during the time immediately following the event.

17-Year Cicada After Molt

It must remain supported by its legs and feet while it pumps fluid into the wings.  Since the creature has no internal skeleton like we do, it must wait as all external parts, exoskeleton, solidify before it can use them.  This shot shows the wings on one side which are yet to be pumped.  The ones on the back side have enlarged (see below).

17-Year Cicada After Molt

17-Year Cicadae

Once they can fly, they land everywhere.  They "sing" their mating call and mate.  When the eggs are fertilized within the female, she places them inside a split cut by her sharp ovipositor into an young leaf stem. 

Dead Leaf

The leaf dies because of the insertion but the eggs hatch into nymphs (first instar).

Nymph Emergence Holes

They burrow down and live among the roots of woody plants for 17 years until they have passed through the requisite number of instars until they are mature nymphs.  At that time (17 years later) they emerge though holes like the ones shown in the trail above.

Credits:  This information comes from Wikipedia and Field Guide to Insects and Spiders, National Audubon Society, 1980, Chanticleer Press, Inc.

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GNC Bridge Four

GNC Bridge Four

This is the latest version of bridge four.   It is a very nice bridge with ramps at either end.  When I first started going to Gorman years ago you could step over this rivulet.

GNC Bridge Four

You can see the previous version which became too short as the water washed away the soil.  This stream is the source of the 6 inch clay field tiles found in the larger stream.  The water has already washed away the support on the near left corner.  The bridge feels solid and you might not notice.  I pulled my equipment over it twice.  I don't think you can see it in this image because of the shadow.

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Planting Corn

Massey Ferguson 8200 Air Duct No-till Planter

Keith Kisling plants corn this way.  The tanks are for liquid fertilizer and the hoppers are for seed corn.  This seems amazing to me.  He did not disc this soil but that planter put in the seed just the same.  That seems to be the beauty of the no-till.  I can tell from the sound that the tractor must work hard to pull it.

Massey Ferguson 8200 Air Duct No-till Planter

The planter has a fan which pressurizes the air ducts to the plates.  They are vertical, unlike old time planters and the air holds the seed in place until it can be dropped.

Massey Ferguson 8200 Air Duct No-till Planter

I believe that Keith told me he as as many as 5 large tanks containing the liquid fertilizer.  He can go back for a refill as needed.

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