Neotredecim Periodical Cicada

magicicada neotredecim

The Neotredecim Periodical Cicada is a remarkable insect famed for its highly synchronized, 13-year lifecycle. Discovered as a distinct species in the year 2000, it closely resembles its 17-year relative but emerges on a shorter cycle across the Midwestern and South-Central United States. Spending over a decade underground as nymphs feeding on tree roots, millions of these cicadas emerge simultaneously to molt into adults, mate, and lay eggs over a frantic few weeks. This mass emergence strategy, known as predator satiation, overwhelms local predators with sheer numbers, ensuring the survival of the next generation. Their deafening choruses transform quiet forests into a buzzing spectacle of sound and life.

Habitat: Found in mature deciduous forests, woodlands, and urban parks with abundant mature trees across the central United States.

Appearance

Adults are striking insects characterized by a stout, pitch-black dorsal body, vivid red eyes, and translucent wings laced with distinct orange or amber veins. The underside of the abdomen features bold orange stripes, which helps distinguish them from closely related species. They possess a characteristic wide head, short antennae, and a prominent beak-like rostrum used for piercing plant tissue. Measuring around 1 to 1.5 inches in length, their wingspan extends considerably past the abdomen when at rest.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumArthropodaClassInsectaOrderHemipteraFamilyCicadidaeGenusMagicicada

Neotredecim Periodical Cicada

Interesting facts

Despite living for 13 years, the adult cicadas only survive for about 2 to 4 weeks above ground to mate and lay eggs.

Magicicada neotredecim was only described as a distinct species in 2000, differentiated from other 13-year cicadas by the pitch of its mating song.

To survive, they rely on predator satiation, emerging in such massive numbers that every predator gets full, leaving millions of cicadas untouched.

When infected by the Massospora fungus, their abdomens fall off and are replaced by a fungal plug, which they actively spread while attempting to mate.

Special abilities

Millions of nymphs emerge simultaneously every 13 years to overwhelm predators in a strategy called predator satiation.

Males possess specialized ribbed structures called tymbals on their abdomens, which they rapidly vibrate to produce a deafening mating call.

Both nymphs and adults use a specialized piercing-sucking rostrum to extract dilute, nutrient-poor fluids from the xylem of host trees.

Measurements & details

Length: 2-4 cm
Wingspan: 7-8 cm
Weight: 0.001-0.003 kg
Lifespan: 13 years
Clutch Size: 400-600
Incubation: 42-56 days

Diet & Feeding

Nymphs feed on the sap of tree roots underground for 13 years, while adults occasionally feed on fluids from twigs and small branches.

Age differences: Nymphs feed exclusively on underground roots, while the short-lived adults feed very little, occasionally sipping from above-ground branches.