Giant Asian Hornets spotted in Hazel Park.

[Honky Tonk]

Well, I went out after the rains and took a photo of the hole. It does resemble the Cicada Killer hole JC posted. I hung around for a while, but saw no activity. I do hope whatever lives there survived the rain.

Attachment 24179

[jcole]

Thanx JC, The Cicada Killer I know. The hole looks about right, sans mound. Since it's in the expansion joint of a sidewalk, it could be someone stepped on the build-up or kids poked around in it. I'll keep an eye on it after the rains subside. As far as the Queen song, do these guys carry dynamite or laser beams?

I don't know but I'll bet they keep Moet et Chandon in a pretty cabinet.

[Zacha341]

Is it me or has anyone else noticed the absence of the Cicada screeches you get middle to late summer from up in the trees. Did the cold nights kill them or is that the insect that does that? I admit I am not sure... back in the day we called them June Bugs.

[jcole]

Is it me or has anyone else noticed the absence of the Cicada screeches you get middle to late summer from up in the trees. Did the cold nights kill them or is that the insect that does that? I admit I am not sure... back in the day we called them June Bugs.

These are June Bugs


These are annual cicadas that make all the noise come August:


Maybe they all drowned Monday night

[Honky Tonk]

Is it me or has anyone else noticed the absence of the Cicada screeches you get middle to late summer from up in the trees. Did the cold nights kill them or is that the insect that does that? I admit I am not sure... back in the day we called them June Bugs.

Until you brought it up, I didn't think about it, but you're right. Maybe they'll come out later because of the cooler summer we're having? @ my last residence, they used to climb out of the ground and up the tree out front. I used to watch them split out of their larva shells.

[mkhopper]

I heard some singing/screeching/whatever last weekend in Canton, but yes, I've noticed they don't seem to be very active yet this summer.

[TKshreve]

I heard some singing/screeching/whatever last weekend in Canton, but yes, I've noticed they don't seem to be very active yet this summer.

That is a keen observation on everyone's part. I too have yet to hear the cicada lullaby. My guess is HT is spot on with his cooler summer theory. In comparison - I don't know how other areas were, but we had a light fish fly hatch in our nape of the neck this summer too.

Back to cicadas, we enjoyed last summer what was a 17 year cycle hatch. Our digger wasps were much more prominent last year than this summer thus far. Between the cooler summer, non-cyclic year and the crazy monsoon we just experienced I have a feeling one or all of those variables are at play here. I'm no etymologist though - but I did stay at a holiday inn last night.

Some light cicada reading: http://www.magicicada.org/about/magifaq.php

[Honky Tonk]

That is a keen observation on everyone's part. I too have yet to hear the cicada lullaby. My guess is HT is spot on with his cooler summer theory. In comparison - I don't know how other areas were, but we had a light fish fly hatch in our nape of the neck this summer too.

Back to cicadas, we enjoyed last summer what was a 17 year cycle hatch. Our digger wasps were much more prominent last year than this summer thus far. Between the cooler summer, non-cyclic year and the crazy monsoon we just experienced I have a feeling one or all of those variables are at play here. I'm no etymologist though - but I did stay at a holiday inn last night.

Some light cicada reading: http://www.magicicada.org/about/magifaq.php

Since there's a handful of posters here that seem interested in this subject, here's a great little video about Cicadas. I'm no etymologist either, just a wide-eyed life observer.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/30/cicada-time-lapse-video-by-samuel-orr_n_3361789.html?ir=Detroit

[TKshreve]

Actually, I hear them now. Maybe I just am so used to them after all these years that it just blends in.

[Jimaz]

What is the etymology of "entomology" anyway?

[courtney]

Since I'm very familiar with the large-bodied, black with yellow markings, wasp-shaped Cicada Killers, I can say that what I saw, definitely wasn't one. It was much larger than a Cicada Killer, it wasn't wasp shaped, [[my apologies, I did post "wasp" in my reply to Danny). It was hornet shaped, mostly yellow, with black markings. It closer resembled a huge yellow-jacket, more then anything else. Now, maybe it wasn't an Asian Hornet, but it sure wasn't a Cicada Killer either, unless there's a species of Cicada Killer that I haven't seen before. Feel free to post photos of your friends Cicada Killers. As far as "flesh-eating hornets", and the "world ending", your folks also did a bang-up job teaching you to blow people's posts out of proportion.

Sounds like a European Hornet. See http://bugguide.net/node/view/7230 and http://www.clemson.edu/cafls/departm...rnet_mv16.html .

BTW, there have been no confirmed Asian Hornets in the US - http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=620

[Honky Tonk]

Sounds like a European Hornet. See http://bugguide.net/node/view/7230 and http://www.clemson.edu/cafls/departm...rnet_mv16.html .

BTW, there have been no confirmed Asian Hornets in the US - http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=620

Thanx Courtney, 1st link, 1st row, 4th photo, 2nd row, 1st photo, the hornet I saw had markings closely resembling those. It was big. Larger than a Cicada Killer.

[Danny]

Sounds like a European Hornet. See http://bugguide.net/node/view/7230 and http://www.clemson.edu/cafls/departm...rnet_mv16.html .

BTW, there have been no confirmed Asian Hornets in the US - http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=620

I saw one and it was a queen. In Hazel Park.

[Zacha341]

Thanks for the clarification on Cicada's vs. June Bugs. And yes, at least near MidTown this has been a silent summer. Even the fire flies seem to have given up - what with the 55 degree nights!

[Kevgoblue]

The fire flies may have given up, but my sleep has been wonderful!

[sumas]

Last summer, I thought I saw giant bees/wasps/hornets burrowing where the lawn met the walkway to the house. It wasn't until a classmate posted about having cicada killers in his lawn that I realized those were the same insects I had seen.

It looks like this is the time of the year for them to emerge.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphecius_speciosus

Thank you so much for that info. We have a house guest for 5 days whom we don't know well as a favor for a close friend. We put him up in an room with ac and a ceiling fan. He must not be too bright because he opened a window with no screen??? He finally told us of giant wasps coming into the room this evening after dark for three days running. One each night. I showed him the link picture and he said that is it. I read the rest and sure enough a large area which is a part of our dog run is next to that window and the large area is indeed mostly sandy. I'll check that area in the morning but doubt I will bother to kill them. That window has a screen but I have zero intention to climb a ladder. Thanks again for the info. Sumas

[Jimaz]

Cicada 17 - Numberphile

Why do cicadas emerge every 17 years - featuring Steve Mould.

[Farwell]

Not all cicadas have a 17 years life cycle. More than you ever want to know about cicadas.
http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/cicada_...chigan_in_2013
http://insects.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/fa...gan/Index.html

[Jimaz]

Not all cicadas have a 17 years life cycle....

Thanks. Those were interesting links.

The Numberphile video I posted mentioned the 13-year cycle too. I think their purpose was to present the theory of why the periods are prime numbers.

What I find fascinating is that, although it's doubtful cicadas can comprehend the concept of primality, apparently their DNA can!

Then there's the equally fascinating mystery of whatever mechanism counts those years while they're dormant.

It's a magical world.

[Honky Tonk]

Thanks. Those were interesting links.

The Numberphile video I posted mentioned the 13-year cycle too. I think their purpose was to present the theory of why the periods are prime numbers.

What I find fascinating is that, although it's doubtful cicadas can comprehend the concept of primality, apparently their DNA can!

Then there's the equally fascinating mystery of whatever mechanism counts those years while they're dormant.

It's a magical world.

YES!, It is.

[Jimaz]

Attachment 28820
▲THE POINT▲ #Full Length Movie ~ narrator: Ringo Starr ~ 1971

Rock Man lays it out straight for Oblio and Arrow: "You been goofin' wit da bees?"

• The Point!

[Jimaz]

Danny was six years ahead of this story.

[jcole]

My husband was saying that he read on the NYT that bee colonies have figured out how to kill them by swarming them and suffocating them

Danny was six years ahead of this story.

[Johnnny5]

My husband was saying that he read on the NYT that bee colonies have figured out how to kill them by swarming them and suffocating them

That's kind of how honey bees in Japan have evolved to defend themselves from them [[By surrounding them and vibrating to raise their body temperature above tolerable levels). Unfortunately, I don't believe the European derived honey bees here in the U.S have the same ability.

[Jimaz]

My husband was saying that he read on the NYT that bee colonies have figured out how to kill them by swarming them and suffocating them

That might be referring to Japanese honeybees roasting them [[gruesome):

The video says European honeybees are more defenseless.