Wisconsin Warrior Brood XIII

I’m a hobby nature photographer and my specialty is my own backyard. I live in Wisconsin and it’s normal to capture a great photo. My past photos include deer, birds, squirrels and bugs. My most exotic sighting was a snow owl one wintry day but I didn’t get it on film.

I was optimistic I would get a photo of one of my backyard regulars but after several attempts, I was running dry. My initial attempt at finding an amazing critter in the wild was a camera shy spider. He would’ve made the cut but I was determined to continue my search.

I relished the adventure. This was a challenge. What could I find in my own backyard? Not much. The animals were on strike. So, I tried the front yard. I hatched a plan. There were a few stale pieces of bread in my fridge. They hadn’t made it to my stomach or the trash can. Bread in hand, I walked out the front door and down the stairs. I threw the ripped pieces of bread across my front lawn hoping to get the attention of a few birds.

I waited and my ingenuity paid off. The two slices of bread yielded me a fantastic strutting black crow but I couldn’t get me and my camera out the door quick enough. The black crow took to the sky. A neighborly cat found the remnants of bread that evening. As the moment of defeat sunk in, I started back up the stairs. It was then, I spotted the bug.

The mysterious bug with transparent wings and red-orange eyes was perched on the wooden railing. It was a curious find. This unusual bug was poised and ready, the photogenic kind. It was unidentifiable by me. It was a bit scary. Yet, it was available for a close up. I didn’t hesitate to capture it with my camera.

I snapped a few photos. It didn’t move. I studied the striking colors and became intrigued. I hadn’t seen anything like it and I wondered what it could be. I then noticed the empty shell casing clinging to the bottom of the railing. The bug had emerged. The unidentified species was now an official mystery and the enigma bug ceased my quest for a better photo subject.

My photo editing process was quite simple. My subject remained still for all the above photos. It didn’t take me long to crop and adjust the lighting to show off the Magicicada. The difficult part was choosing the photos.

I dashed inside and grabbed my sketch pad. I’d recently taken up drawing. My feeble attempt was interrupted, as the unidentified bug took flight. Spreading his large wings, he flew up and disappeared into the pine needles of the huge pine tree in my front yard.

I wouldn’t see the incredible creature return. The research began. I grabbed my phone. The bug was on my mind and Google was my only hope. I figured he was some type of moth. I narrowed my search to moths that gravitate toward pine trees in Wisconsin. I found a few candidates but photos don’t lie. None of the critters matched up to the orange eyed and orange legged bug.

Eventually my investigation was rewarded. It turned out the unidentified bug on my railing was a very rare find. Better yet, he had quite a tale to tell. I had experienced a chance encounter with an extraordinary species, a rebel and perhaps a revolutionary pioneer.

Nature likes to share more than its beauty and wisdom. If you pay attention and listen beyond the chirping birds and buzzing bees, you’ll find a treasure trove of chapters from a book you simply can’t put down. My bug is one example of pages strewn together to create this amazing picture we view and hear daily. While I marvel at providing his story, I encourage a moment of gratitude the next time you see an unidentified flying bug.

He goes by the scientific name Magicicada Septendecim. Otherwise known as Wisconsin Warrior Brood XIII, he’s part of a group of periodical cicada set to emerge in 2024 in my state. This brood of cicada was last here in 2007. I remember it well because of the noise. The entire brood chirps as a chorus to find their mates.

Like any other creature that speaks only through photos, my bug’s characteristic details were individualistic. My sketch doesn’t do this fellow justice. Here’s his actual description. As you can see in the photos, he has red-orange eyes and matching legs. The wings are translucent with orange veins. The body, otherwise known as the thorax of the bug is black.

Aside from his dashing good looks, there was a looming fact. He wasn’t supposed to emerge until 2024. So what was he doing here? It’s only 2021. He was too early to break free. According to my studies, periodical cicadas live underground. It’s an interesting notion to live one’s early years underground. I could only imagine his trepidation regarding his upcoming debut to the world.

The nymphs, or casing as I refer to it in the photos from which they emerge, live underground for a range of two to ten years. They feed off juices from roots of plants. When they emerge, they go about their life cycle which includes chirping to find a mate and reproduce. They die a few weeks later.

Upon further research, my Wisconsin Warrior Brood XIII began to tell a different story. I’ll affectionately refer to him as my Magicicada. He was a rebel with a cause. He’s not just an ordinary Brood XIII periodical cicada, he’s a straggler. It’s thought stragglers break free 1 to 4 years early to form a new brood.

A straggler cicada emerges with other cicada in significant numbers to go about their life cycle of finding a mate and reproducing to begin the cycle again. These early emergers are an inspiration. They’re forward thinkers forming their own tribe. This could be the case for my newly identified Magicicada on my railing. If he and his companions decided to break free from the crowd early, they forged a mini-revolution. They were reproducing apart from their original brood to create a new brood. This is called acceleration.

I found several articles pertaining to the subject. In nearby Chicago, Illinois, the Brood XIII periodical cicada already emerged as early as 2020. Not only did my bug have an incredible history but he had a potential leadership role and hero storyline. I might have been witness to a new brood. While I’m not a psychological insect analyst, to me he possessed all the qualities of a confident warrior. If he indeed creates a new brood, he had an amazing adventure into adulthood, when I discovered him.

Either way, his journey continues and his ending is unknown for now. Magicicada sing in a chorus to find their female mate. I haven’t heard the rest of the brood but I’m patient. After all, his story is worth following and I’m cheering on the revolt.

It goes to show you, life has a funny way of surprising you. My exploration into the wild provided an unforgettable experience and an incredible swashbuckling tale full of adventure. I was fortunate to cross paths with a one of a kind.

The Magicicada Septendecim proved far more than an entrant for this challenge but a valuable lesson in determination, the unexpected and all the magic this incredible life offers us all daily. I’m grateful, blessed and a bit humbled by this mere acquaintance. He reminded me, life only stands still for a while. While he lived without applause underground, he planned for a new life and an exciting voyage. He waited ten years before conquering his own brood. It was a fine lesson in patience.

The Magicicada Septendecim proved to be a magical name for my initial unidentified flying bug. While I might not know how his quest finishes, his presence in my life arrived at a time when I too was embarking on new horizons. The tale of the Wisconsin Warrior Brood XIII periodical cicada stands as a reminder to reinvent your own story line at any stage in life.

I’m glad I threw the bread in my front yard. I’m thankful I waited and took a chance on a not so common critter.

Seldom do we take a few moments to see beyond our walls into this enchanting world we live in filled with creativity and abundance. It’s a free show should you choose to be a spectator. Find time to surround yourself with the beauty you are encircled by and don’t look elsewhere. It’s in that majestic splendor you too may find an unidentified flying bug with a lesson to teach and a story to weave.