Cicadas and Other Prairie Wonders

“Calm and serene, the sound of a cicada, penetrates the rock.”—Matsuo Basho

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They’re heeeeerrrrreeeee.

Periodical cicada (Magicicada sp.), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Hello, cicadas.

Periodical cicada (Magicicada sp.), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

On the prairies in my part of northern Illinois, cicadas are everywhere this week. You may even find their exuviae, which they leave behind after emerging.

Periodical cicada (Magicicada sp.) exuvia, Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Soon, their singing will be the soundtrack to our summer. You won’t be able to shut out the sound! But for a few more days, the world is fairly cicada song-free. They are still a bit of a novelty. Each one is a marvel.

But while you’re admireing the cicadas, don’t miss the other mid-May prairie wonders. It might be a savanna sparrow, singing its three-part buzzy trill.

Savanna sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Or the early southern spreadwing damselflies, now thought to be migratory.

Southern spreadwing damselfly (Lestes australis), Nachusa Grasslands, Franklin Grove, IL.

Go out in the morning to see spiderwort, with its alienesque buds and short-lived flowers which attract bumblebees and long-tongued bees.

Ohio spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Maybe you’ll spy a day-flying eight-spotted forester moth resting in the undergrowth. The caterpillars use grapes and virginia creeper as host plants.

Eight-spotted forester moth (Alypia octomaculata), Nachusa Grasslands, Franklin Grove, IL.

Or if you’re lucky, you’ll see an odd-ball eastern forktail andromorph female damselfly, which showed up on one of my dragonfly data collection routes this week. It’s only the second time I’ve seen this unusual variation on a common damselfly species.

Eastern forktail andromorph female damselfly (Ischnura verticalis), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Along the prairie paths, you may discover edible valerian—sometimes called “tobacco root” or “common valerian”— which is turning pink and going to seed.

Common valerian (Valeriana edulis var.cilata), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

You’ll notice that bastard toadflax has begun its transformation from bloom to seed.

Bastard toadflax (Comandra umbellata), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

And look at that blue-eyed grass! Such tiny little seeds in process.

Blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium augustifolium), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Pale purple coneflowers are just days away from flowering.

Pale purple coneflower (Enchinacea pallida), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

The aptly-named hairy beardtongue is in full bloom.

Hairy beardtongue (Penstemon hirsutus), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

And the meadow anemones and american vetch pair up to make a floral arrangement that beats anything a florist could pull together.

American vetch (Vicia americana) and meadow anemone (Anemone canadensis), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Look closely in the tallgrass. See the spittlebug foam?

Spittlebug foam (probably from Philaenus spumarius), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Smoosh that froth with your fingers (ewww!), and you’ll find the tiny pale insect inside. The spittlebugs feed on everything from daisies to goldenrod. The “froth” helps keep the insect moist, and protects it from predators.

Nearby, the first common whitetail dragonflies perch, ready for flight.

Common whitetail dragonfly (Plathemis lydia), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Their emergence is eagerly awaited in the wetlands by hungry green frogs…

Green frog (Lithobates clamitans), Nachusa Grasslands, Franklin Grove, IL.

…and ravenous bullfrogs.

American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

They’ll add their froggie songs to the cicada chorus, punctuated by cries from the scolding, vigilant red-winged blackbird.

Red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

The red-winged blackbird is highly protective of his nest sites. He would like you to stay off the prairie. But hey! Don’t listen to him.

Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

You won’t want to miss a day in the magical last half of May.

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Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) was a Japanese haiku master. You can read more about him at the Poetry Foundation here, then have fun creating some haikus of your own.

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Join Cindy for a class or program in June:

Wednesday, June 5, 7-8:30 p.m. — “Bison Tails and Tallgrass Trails.” ONLINE only! Bensenville Public library. Free and open to the public. For registration details, call the library here.

Wednesday, June 12, 7-8 p.m. —“Dragonflies and Damselflies: The Garden’s Frequent Fliers” at Des Plaines Public Library, Des Plaines, IL. (In person) Free and open to the public. For registration details, visit here.

Thursday, June 13, 10-11:30 a.m. —“A Tallgrass Prairie Hike,” Hilltop Gardeners Garden Club, Oswego, IL (offsite, private event).

Thursday, June 13, 6:30-8 p.m.— “Potawatomi Prairie Perspectives” with Gina Roxas, Executive Director of the Trickster Center, and Cindy in conversation. (The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL, Prairie Visitor Station– held outdoors, weather permitting). Registration and ticket costs here.

More programs and classes at http://www.cindycrosby.com.

Special thanks to Joyce Gibbons for showing me the southern spreadwing damselfly, and helping me with damselfly ID this week.