MANSFIELD — Richland County residents can count on seeing periodical cicadas emerge from the ground starting in spring, according to the OSU entomology extension.
Richland County is part of “Brood V,” one of the four periodical cicada brood zones in Ohio. The infestation should only last a few months — only to reappear in another 17 years, according to the agency.
The population of this year’s infestation is unclear. There are many variables that go into affecting a cicada population. The establishment of new developments and growth of new trees can all impact a cicada’s population.
According to a National Geographic article, cicadas spend most their lives underground sucking sap from tree roots. Their plant diet makes them a good low-carb, gluten free snack.
Unpalatable? Think again.
The web is littered with different recipes. A Google search for “cicada recipes” renders 329,000 results in a half-second. Entire cookbooks have been devoted to incorporating the flying insects that contains “good protein.”
Here’s one recipe: Cicada-Licious: Cooking and Enjoying Periodical Cicada.
Author and entomologist Jenna Jadin notes in her book that crawfish, lobster, crab and shrimp are all part of the insect phylum: anthropods.
So enjoying a cicada alongside a dressed salad could be less than a stone’s throw from dipping crab meat in melted butter.
