Periodical cicada (Magicicada sp.)

Rhythm of the Woodlands

David S. McMeans · Nikon Z7 II · Nikon Nikkor Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S

Hocking Hills State Park, Hocking County, Ohio, USA

Image

Rhythm of the Woodlands

Resting quietly on the damp forest floor of Hocking Hills, a single periodical cicada finds footing on a slick green leaf amid wet fallen autumn foliage, just paces away from a rushing waterfall gorge. Having left behind years of darkness beneath the root systems of ancient hemlocks and oaks, this scarlet-eyed sentinel stands at the precipice of its brief adult life cycle. The ambient mist of the sandstone canyons dampens the air, a serene setting for an insect whose synchronous survival strategy relies on overwhelming the local wildlife through sheer volume. In the weeks ahead, the quietude of this moss-lined ravine will yield to a deafening, metallic chorus—a primal, seasonal vibration that signals the culmination of a massive biological migration and the continuation of an enduring evolutionary legacy.

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