Cicadas: Nature's tree pruners

The seventeen-year cicadas have mostly come and gone. There are a few still out there in the Chicago area, but for the most part, the batch that hatched in 1990 have mated and died.

Shortly before passing on, female cicadas lay there eggs in narrow tree branches, twigs if you prefer.

I took this photograph about an hour ago in the Linne Woods Forest Preserve in Morton Grove, Illinois

This Northern Red Oak is a popular stopping off point for the female insects. That tree isn't dying, but the ends of the braches have been cut off from the sucrose flow from the rest of the oak.

Deeper in the forest, the suddenly narrower trees allows extra sunlight in. This gives saplings a little better chance to survive and become might oaks, maples, or hickories.

Cue the Elton John music...."It's the circle of life...."

Related posts:

The cicada hum

D-Day 2007: The cicadas are here

Finally, a cicada sighting

Thanks for the link: Cicada Mania

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