Mobile UPI  |   About UPI  |   UPI en Español  |   UPI Arabic  |   UPIU  |   My Account
Search:
Go

Chicago cicadas late to the party

|
|
 
  
Published: Aug. 1, 2008 at 1:20 PM

CHICAGO, Aug. 1 (UPI) -- Experts said 17-year cicadas have been spotted in the Chicago area, one year after the rest of their brood emerged to mate and die.

Gene Kritsky, of the College of Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati and author of "Periodical Cicadas: The Plague and the Puzzle," said some of the 17-year cicadas, which are believed to measure time by the fluid flow in trees, apparently have faulty internal clocks that led them to emerge a year late, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Friday.

"Eighteen calendar years went past but the cicada detected 17,'' Kritsky said.

Kritsky told the Sun-Times five Chicago-area residents have reported spotting 17-year cicadas, which are characterized by their red eyes and smaller forms than their cousins, the annual cicadas. He said the most recent report came on July 19.

Topics: Gene Kritsky
© 2008 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.

Order reprints
  
Join the conversation
Most Popular Collections
The making of the Oscars Cheerleaders of 2012 The Chicago Auto Show
The Tibetan Moniam Festival in China The Most Desirable Women of 2012 The best kisses
Additional Odd News Stories
Your Daily Horoscope
The almanac
1 of 25
Meryl Streep and Colin Firth attend the "BAFTA" ceremony in London
View Caption
fark
Note to the youngsters out there: if a legend dies and you want to sneak into his or her inner sanctum...
You don't have to be too smart to coach high school sports. Just smart enough to not post nude photos...
There's vandalizing your school, and then there's doing a million dollars damage to your school
Police say Taylor Burnham, 18, was only wearing cowboy boots as she led police on a Sunday morning...
If you're working as a dog groomer and accidentally chop off a dog's ear, don't try to glue it back,...
After a two-year sting operation, the Feds shut down ... an Amish farm. Another victory in the war...