As Brood X rapidly wanes to the north and east, this loner emerged on westernmost outskirts of Brood IV range way off schedule here this morning. A member of species Neotibicen superbus (Fitch, 1855) aka Superb Dog-Day Cicada, its brood isn't due to appear en masse again until 2032. If it's a male and doesn't fly too far from the tractor tire I'll get to hear it sing before it dies. If it's a female and she hears no singing males then she'll die without producing any offspring. Timing is everything, some say, and as much as I espouse life as a loner, I do hope this beautiful creature gets lucky. Unlike rampantly overpopulating humans, it won't live long enough to cause massive damage to its environment as our sad society has.
So I'll be listening for cicada song now to cheer them on to meet and mate, as distant Brood X finishes its cycle of life event and humanity rushes headlong down its self-imposed one-way path to extinction, wondering why I feel deep sadness only for this beautiful little insect.
