Attack of the cicadas

For 17 years, a creature has been lurking beneath the ground in Bloomington. Soon, it will emerge from its lair, and residents will not be able to ignore its presence.\nThis creature is not the subject of a B-movie -- it is a cicada. And while cicadas fill the summer air every year with their pulsating, buzzing sound, this year's batch will be different.\nKnown as Brood X, it is a species that only emerges every 17 years. And it is still a mystery to science as to how these insects always arrive precisely on schedule. Come the week of May 25, they will emerge from the ground and take to the trees.\nThe cicadas hardly get much of a life-span -- they only live around three weeks after their underground wait. But IU biology Professor Keith Clay is eagerly awaiting their arrival. \n"This is a natural biological phenomenon of tremendous magnitude," Clay said. "The lower Midwest is the center of their abundance, and Bloomington is right smack in the middle of their distribution. It may be the highest density of insects on earth."\nAs many as 1.5 million cicadas are capable of emerging from a single acre patch of land. On campus, Dunn Woods -- the area behind Woodburn Hall -- and the IU Golf Course are expected to be among the chief areas of cicada habitation.\nUpon their emergence, the cicadas won't take over buildings the way ladybugs did this fall. They will stay in trees, simply mating and laying their eggs before dying. But it is the noise of the cicadas that might irritate Bloomington residents.\nThe noise is made by male cicadas as a mating call to the females.\nClay's first spring in Bloomington was in 1987, the last time the cicadas emerged. He remembers it well.\n"I was overwhelmed by the noise," Clay said. "It was like sound waves were going to the center of your brain."\nClay cited an IU graduation ceremony in the early 20th century which was nearly cancelled due to the fact the commencement speaker was barely audible over the din of the cicadas.\nAfter the cicadas die, cleanup will prove to be another problem. \nDave Hurst, manager of the Physical Plant Campus Division, said the department has discussed how it will handle the situation.\n"It's hard to say what we'll do until it happens," Hurst said. "But as we do with leaves in the fall, we'll just rake them up." \nClay cites the imminent cicada invasion as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. With the help of a $400,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, he will be studying the long-term effects the presence of cicadas make on a forested area. \nClay said the size of the study will provide undergrads with an excellent opportunity to get research experience.\nFor some, the cicadas could have disastrous effects. Clay said a number of orchards in Indiana qualified for federal aid in 1987 because they were so badly ravaged by the cicadas.\nHe does know the cicadas will affect other species in the area besides trees. Animals from moles to birds to common household pets like to feast on the cicadas. \nNative Americans were also known to munch on this fine delicacy. \nHowever, Clay does not anticipate making a taste test part of his study. \n"I hear that they taste like asparagus. But they might taste better stir-fried in a wok." \n-- Contact senior writer Alex Hickey at ahickey@indiana.edu.