Periodical
cicadas are among the most unique creatures in
the animal kingdom. After spending 17 years underground
as juveniles, they emerge for a brief, cacophonous
population explosion aboveground, where they
transform into adults, mate, lay eggs and
die off after only a few weeks.
WFYI presents Return of the Cicadas, an original local documentary
produced in association with the Indiana University
Research and Teaching Preserve. Producer Samuel
Orr followed the life cycle of Brood X, which
made its momentous ascension in the spring
of 2004. It accounted for one of the largest
insect outbreaks on Earth. Many different
broods exist, on unique 17-year schedules.
Brood XIII is due to arrive in northern Indiana this
May. Through
stunning close-up video and time-lapse photography,
Orr and others offer an amazing glimpse at the
lives of these enigmatic insects. The documentary
was made possible by the research of IU biologist
Keith Clay through grants
provided by the National Science Foundation.
The NSF and Science Magazine recognized the production with a national award
for a short 5-minute film on the
Brood X outbreak.
You can learn more about cicadas from the many web links available
at Indiana University's Cicada Project website...
Return of the Cicadas is made possible through
a Communicating Research to
Public Audiences (CRPA) grant from the National
Science Foundation. |