Hypersexual “zombie cicadas” put the United States on alert – Diario La Página – 2024-04-08 10:19:42

There are millions of cicadas of two different types that will appear in several states of the United States at the end of this month, as an unusual phenomenon that has not occurred for more than 200 years, The New York Times reported.

For the first time since 1803, the cycle in which nymphs of the endemic periodical cicadas, known as Brood XIII, emerge from the ground, which occurs every 17 years, will align with the 13-year cycle of Brood XIX. In this way, these insects, which develop in geographically adjacent sites and in small underground chambers below the soil surface, will appear at the same time.

Floyd Shockley, an entomologist and collections manager at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, estimates that nearly a billion of these insects could appear. Although they are expected in late April and early May, only when the ground reaches a temperature of approximately 18°C ​​will they leave their underground tunnels and use their front paws to emerge from the ground. Once on the surface they will look for quiet places to mature peacefully, find a mate, lay eggs and die within a month.

‘Zombie cicadas’

In addition to the fact that more cicadas than usual are expected this year, experts say that some of them would be infected by a sexually transmitted fungus that makes them hypersexual. According to CBS News, these are a type of ‘zombie cicadas’ infected by a fungal pathogen known as ‘Massospora cicadina’ and that affects both types.

Matthew Kasson, associate professor of Forest Mycology and Pathology at West Virginia University, explains that once the cicadas touch the ground and become adults, the fungus causes the back of their abdomen to open, where a chalky white structure sprouts. which causes the genitals to fall off, and can lead to “a third of your body” being invaded.

Under this condition, the males continue to try to mate with the females, but without success. At the same time, the fungus makes them move their wings like females to attract other males. “That doubles the number of cicadas with which an infected individual comes into contact,” explains the expert, noting that it spreads like a sexually transmitted disease.

Although the origin of this pathogen is not entirely clear, it is suspected that the spores of the fungus left on dead cicadas reach the soil and infect the nymphs underground. It apparently remains dormant for years and becomes a “puppeteer” for the adult cicadas, Kasson said. It’s not clear how the fungus would affect other wild animals or humans, but some compounds in infected ones could be toxic, he added.

What to do with so many?

According to Gene Kritsky, a retired biology professor and author of several books on cicadas, the first waves of cicadas will emerge in northern Louisiana, southern Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, northern Georgia and as far west as North Carolina. South. They will then emerge in central North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, and northern Arkansas, followed by southern Missouri, southern Illinois, and western Kentucky.

Cicadas are harmless to humans, since they do not bite or sting, and they do not transmit diseases. However, they make a very loud noise that can be very annoying. Because they are not great fliers and are poor at landing, they often end up on sidewalks and can be crushed by cars or pedestrians, says Shockley, who recommends not throwing them in the trash, but rather treating them as “free fertilizer for your plants.” gardens and natural areas. Biology professor John Cooley advises against trying to kill them or spray them with insecticides because “they are part of the forest.”

These insects are considered to be beneficial to the environment and the holes left by their nymphs when they emerge help aerate the soil and allow rainwater to reach the subsoil and nourish the roots of the trees. Likewise, they act as ‘gardeners’, since the indentations they make in the trees can cause some branches to fall, in a kind of natural pruning. When they grow again, the fruits they produce will tend to be larger. On the other hand, the exoskeletons they shed provide nutrients that trees need.