An Emergence in Kentucky

 

The results of spring rain

We left the Buffalo River and Arkansas behind in pouring rain.  The good thing to say about all the rain is that everything is radiantly green.  Most of the plants would have a hard time finding room to fit in another leaf.   I’m sure the Ozarks are beautiful anytime, but this must be an exceptionally spectacular spring.  To West Texas eyes it is almost unbelievable.

 

New redbud leaves are so beautiful.

 

Since David and I lived in Missouri for 6 years, we decided that we wouldn’t spend a lot of time in the state this trip (although we are planning on stopping in St. Louis to visit friends on our way back to Texas).  So our only night in Missouri was spent at Lake Wappapello State Park on our way to Kentucky.  When we arrived we sat in the RV waiting for the rain to slow down enough for us to set up camp.  It did eventually let up and the sun even came out – just enough to make it a hot and muggy afternoon.  All that cool and rain most of the day and then we had to turn on our air conditioner.

Cicadas in various stages of emergence
Middle one is last stage instar nymph, left one is just beginning molt
and right one is a new adult with body starting to harden 

 

The next day near Paducah, Kentucky on Interstate 24, we stopped at a rest area and information center to pick up a state park guide and other travel brochures.  Going back to the car, David noticed the exuvia or exoskeleton ‘molts’ of cicadas clinging to the trunk of a great oak tree.  He pointed it out to me and we walked over to see an ‘emergence’ going on.  There were scores of cicadas still coming out of the ground, several molting ones on the tree bark with quite a few ‘hardening’ their new adult bodies on the trunk of the oak.  I’m sure many of the adults had already flown away judging by the number of molts on the tree.

 

New adult with old exoskeleton beneath it 

 

Sometimes referred to as locusts, the song of cicadas in summer months can be incessant and very loud.  As a child I can remember being made to take an afternoon nap and complaining that there was no way I could sleep with all that noise.  (Even though I didn’t want to take a nap, I still think I had a valid complaint.)

The cicada 'song' is sung by most male cicadas and they make the sound by flexing their ‘tymbals,’ which are organs on their abdomens.  Small muscles rapidly pull the drum-like tymbals in and out of shape, kind of like a click-toy.  The cicadas’ nearly hollow abdomen magnifies this sound to produce that well-known cacophony that can drive us all crazy during hot summer days and nights.

New adult just 'cracking' out of its exuvia or exoskeleton
Good things these guys aren't any bigger or they would be terrifying!

After a few photos David and I were back in the RV and on the road.  But we couldn’t stop thinking about cicadas. We remembered that some species emerge in large periodic cycles of 17 or so years.  We wondered if this was going to be a big emergence year.  So when we got a chance we did a little research and found that indeed, 2015 is going to be a remarkable year for periodical cicadas. 

 

After spending 13 or 17 years feeding in the ground,
 periodical cicadas tunnel out and climb on a tree or plant
 beginning the final molt to transform into adults



There are annual cicadas, too, that emerge in smaller batches every year but it is the periodical ones that tend to get our attention. Seven species of periodical cicadas, four with 13-year cycles and three with 17-year cycles, make up the genus Magicicada.  In the Midwest several of the species' ranges overlap.



Brand new adult cicada, just beginning to harden

According to Wikipedia and the website, magicicada.org, 2015 will have an emergence of all four of the 13-year periodical cicada species and all three of the 17-year.  If you live in certain areas where ranges overlap or are prepared for a little travel, you will be able see all seven described species of Magicicada.  Be prepared for a noisy summer!

 

One almost completely hardened adult and one about half way there

 

I normally don’t think of rest areas as being hot spots for nature, but you never know when or where you will find something to amaze you.  Nature is cool that way.   After playing ‘naturalists’ at the rest area we drove on to Pennyrile State Resort Park in the Pennyrile State Forest.  We chose this park because it has several miles of hiking trails in a beautiful state forest and we still entertain the hope of long hikes someday soon.

 

Are you sure you want to do this trail?

 

Curses, foiled again!  Poison ivy was the major villain this time although that is not to say that rain and ticks didn’t come into it.  We were so excited to take the Pennyrile State Forest Interpretive Tree Trail and learn more about mid-western trees.  It started out good, no rain and a relatively clear trail.  The signage was great and we were learning a lot.  But then the trail got narrower and soon poison ivy was everywhere. 

Determined to see it through to the end though, we did not give up.  Plus we had our Tecnu (poison ivy oil remover) with us.  We almost got lost a time or two as the trail was very overgrown and not well-marked on the last section but we made it back to the car as thunder rumbled in the distance.  Finally, we finished a trail even if it wasn’t a very long one.

 

I'd turn back if I were you...
Poison ivy in the trail

 

The poison ivy soap and Tecnu must be helping as so far neither one of us has had much of a reaction.   We both had a few little spots on our legs a week or so ago, but the spots were so insignificant that we weren’t sure if it was poison ivy.  (Considering how prevalent the ivy is this spring I can’t believe we have done so well.)  Inspecting Maya and taking very soapy showers back at the RV did reveal that there had been a few ticks on the trail too. 

 

 

Maya finds a big fungi

 

 

The rest of our time at Pennyrile was spent walking on wide trails around the campground and park roads.  Maya is tired of soapy baths and she has let us know this as of late...

 

David’s "Continually Pitiful" Stats:

Days Hiked:  2

Rain Days:    1    
Total Miles Hiked:  3.98   
Ave. Miles per Day:      1.99
Total Elevation Gain:     543
Ave. Elevation Gain per day:   272