This is a wild headline from NPR: "A fungus is turning cicadas into horny zombies — but don’t panic."
"[The fungus] Massospora cicadina has been observed in cicadas in more than half a dozen states — both those belonging to Brood XIII, which emerges every 17 years and is concentrated in Illinois, and of Brood XIX, a 13-year group that is distributed across much of the southeast."
Cicadas are back, but climate change is messing with their body clocks.
CBS News reports: "Cicada watchers used to be able to predict their emergence as easily as astronomers could predict the recent solar eclipse. But that has become more challenging as the cicadas' patterns are changing as warm spring days happen more often."
Butterflies, bees, bugs and more: The summer of insect-counting gets underway in Germany.
AP reports on the country's "'insect summer,' now in its seventh year, organized by the country’s Nature And Biodiversity Conservation Union, or NABU."
You may be having a bad day, but at least your car isn't careening off the road because there are so many smashed bug guts on it your tires can't get traction in the snot-like goo.
Ok mastodon brains trust, especially Aussie ones. Anyone know what little bugs come out of this. There were two of them & both shaped almost like the Tesla logo. There was also a little green praying mantis nest (or whatever they’re called) nearby. Very soft & papery to touch. #Bugs#Insects#Nest
The cicadas have arrived (West suburbs of Chicago). They seem particularly fond of the native plants such as cup plant. Although they are throughout the garden, it's nothing like the pictures I've seen with thousands all over. #Cicadas#cicadas2024#cicadageddon@gardening#insects#bugs
Good morning all, happy Hump Day! The cicada watch continues, these two were sitting on a leaf outside of my car. They're getting thick enough now to see flying in small swarms in the afternoon. This level of cicadas only happen every 221 years so it's pretty cool to see something like this, kinda like the rare eclipses, but with bugs. 🐛🪲
Have a great Wednesday! Try to make it fun if possible. I like harmless work shenanigans. 🤪
How cockroaches spread around the globe to become the pest we know today.
From AP: "A new study uses genetics to chart cockroaches’ spread across the globe, from humble beginnings in southeast Asia to Europe and beyond. The findings span thousands of years of cockroach history and suggest the pests may have scuttled across the globe by hitching a ride with another species: people."
Hello fellow Fediverse travelers, I hope your day is going well. While on break I took a cicada pic, they are increasing daily. 🪲 🐛 When they're all out it will be an impressive sight.