🪰Every 17 years when the weather warms, periodical cicadas become a news event. East of the Great Plains in the northern U.S., millions of seventeen-year cicadas (Magicicada septendecim) burst forth from the ground. Why this mass emergence? It’s an effective adaptation that allows these insects to overwhelm potential predators. But sheer numbers shouldn’t lull cicada fans into complacency, for the insects do face stressors, particularly ongoing forest habitat destruction and pesticides. For now, research into the actual numbers and population dynamics of periodical cicadas is more important than ever. 📸The Museum's latest special exhibition Extinct and Endangered: Insects in Peril, opens TOMORROW, Wednesday, June 22! It will feature uniquely powerful macrophotography by Levon Biss (@levonbiss), highlighting 40 incredible but imperiled species from specimens in the Museum's world-class research collection, including the seventeen-year cicada, in large-format photographs, some as large as 4.5 by 8 feet! Link in bio for more details. Photo: © Levon Biss #AnimalFacts #cicadas #17yearcicada #bugs #insects #entomology #photography #macrophotography #amnh #nyc #dyk #nature (at American Museum of Natural History) https://www.instagram.com/p/CfEa8-2Ltb5/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
