Some unfamiliar or slightly unusual insects are being seen and heard this summer. Some of them make loud noises while others have large sizes or rapid motions that attract our attention. Cicadas fit into the loud noise category. They are present from mid to late summer and produce a high-pitched sound during the day that resembles a loud powerline hum. The loud, sometimes pulsating, buzz is produced by the males with sound organs located at the base of the abdomen. Cicadas have a stout, one inch long body that is usually black in color with greenish markings. They have conspicuous, clear wings that are folded over the backs and prominent eyes. The life cycle may last 2-5 years, but the broods overlap so that there are new adults each year. The immature nymphs live in the soil and feed on the roots of various plants. When the nymphs reach their last development stage, they emerge from the soil, attach themselves to a tree trunk, a fence post or other object and molt into adults. The cicadas found in this area are harmless to people and garden plants. Dobsonflies fit the large mandible category. Dobsonflies are three inch long brownish colored insects with long membranous wings and conspicuous mandibles. While the females have short mandibles, the males have mandibles up to 3?4 inch long, making them look quite fierce. However, they do not bite people and the mandibles are used for fighting other male Dobsonflies. Because their larvae, call hellgrammites, are aquatic, Dobsonflies are often associated with water. The adults are attracted to lights and can be found considerable distances from water. Dobsonflies are just a curiosity and are harmless insects. Whirring wings on an insect that looks very much like a hummingbird belong to the white-lined sphinx moth. The moth hovers and darts about in flower gardens very much like a hummingbird and is usually seen late in the afternoon and at dusk. Instead of a long beak, white-lined sphinx moths have a long proboscis that they use to feed on nectar while flying. The moths are larger than hummingbirds with a wingspan between two and three and a half inches. The first pair of wings are dark colored with a white stripe running from the wingtip diagonally to the base of the wing. The second pair of wings is dark with a pinkish colored band. Although their larvae may occasionally feed on garden plants, white-lined sphinx moths are beneficial in that they pollinate plants as they feed. None of these insects damage plants and are not considered to be pests. They should be enjoyed as insect curiosities.
