| Virginia
Journal of Science.
2000. Vol 51 (3) : 187-194 |
| Oviposition
Sites and Emergence Habitats of 13-year Periodical Cicadas (Brood XIX)
in Eastern Virginia Heather F. Sahli and Stewart Ware, Department of Biology, The College of William and Mary,Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795 ABSTRACT
While much research has been done on periodical cicadas,
apparently no quantitative studies have been carried out to determine
the vegetational structure of periodical cicada brood emergence sites
or oviposition sites. We determined large tree and small tree
densities and dominance in five forest stands which experienced high
densities of Brood XIX cicada emergence in 1998. Paired
observations were made at one of these sites to determine whether there
was a preference for egg deposition in woodland edges versus the forest
interior. A list was compiled of all the tree species which
exhibited evidence of egg deposition. We found that the canopies
of emergence sites can be dominated by loblolly pine (Pinus taeda),
oaks (Quercus spp.), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), hickories
(Carya spp.), and beech (Fagus grandifolia), with red maple (Acer
rubrum) or holly (Ilex opaca) important in the understory. The
abundance of loblolly pine, the only common species in which no egg
deposition was found, suggests that 13 years earlier, periodical
cicadas found a sufficient number of other tree species in which to
deposit their eggs. This also suggests that the roots of pine
trees might be capable of sustaining the cicada nymphs. Brood XIX
cicadas showed a significant preference for depositing their eggs on
twigs on forest edges rather than depositing on shaded twigs in the
forest interior. |