5/20/2004 9:07:15 PM

So cool, Doug. I've never seen these guys with red eyes. I love their summer sound and hope they're around here soon.

5/21/2004 4:37:03 AM

Thanks for your comments. These are the 17-year locusts. They lay eggs on trees, then the larvae bury themselves in the ground, where they remain for the next 17 years! They emerge as pupas all together over a period of several weeks, crawl up a stem, shed their skin, mate, and continue the cycle. Fascinating ... and they are very lackadaisical after they emerge from the pupa stage - making for perfect models. There are literally thousands of these guys on my property right now. They look scary, but they are completely harmless to people and (for the most part) to vegetation.

5/21/2004 6:55:23 AM