Magicicada septendecim, Magicicada cassinii, and Magicicada septendecula are the three species of cicadas that comprise Brood X. Brood X are periodical cicadas which emerge above ground after spending most of their life (17 years) underground in their nymph stage. Where and when the cicadas will emerge is unpredictable. One tree may have 100's emerging cicadas on it, while a tree a just few feet away may not show any signs of them.

PURPOSE

A lot of nature documentaries are of the more popular animals. Sharks have a whole week dedicated to them while insects are very often overlooked despite how many there are that inhabit the world. This video was created to spark interest in audiences of varying ages and educate them about one of the insects that lives with us on this planet.

EQUIPMENT / TECHNIQUE

Tripod, Canon 7D, 100mm macro, a flash light.

The footage was obtained after midnight requiring a constant light source that attracted other insects. These segments required multiple clips to be filmed due to the limitations of the camera to only record 10 minutes of footage per clip. A 100mm macro lens was used to film the cicadas up to a 1:1 ratio.