Effects of Periodical Cicada Ovipositional Injury on Woody Plants    (View PDF)

Fredric Miller and Webster Crowley

Abstract: The long-term effect of oviposition by the female periodical cicadas Magicicada septendecim and M. cassini (Homoptera: Cicadidae) was examined on woody plants in landscape plantings at The Morton Arboretum in northeastern Illinois following the 1991-1993 growing seasons. A minimum branch diameter of approximately 5 mm appears to be a critical factor in ovipositional activity. Plants with stout branching habits do not appear to be suitable for oviposition. The percent canopy flagging, as a function of the number of wounds per branch, may not be an accurate measurement of ovipositional damage. Young trees with stem diameters or main scaffold branches with diameters between 5 and 10 mm may experience significant damage to the main trunk, resulting in breakage and significant growth loss. Larger plant material does not appear to be significantly affected by ovipositional damage, but it does result in a minor natural pruning event.

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https://doi.org/10.48044/jauf.1998.030