Oxford resident continues sightings of rare cicadas

Oxford residents continue to share their interactions with cicadas, pleasant or not.

Oxford resident Jordan Hertel was in a sticky situation when a cicada flew into his open car window. He shared his experience on the Facebook group Oxford Talk (Ohio) on Sunday, June 6.

I left my window down for five minutes!? And of course a cicada flew in and now all I hear is it’s little wings flapping and I can’t find it.., great.” Hertel wrote.

Studies conducted by entomologists Gaye Williams and Ben Pagac show cicadas can top out at 90.3 decibels (dB).

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, noises above 70 dB over a prolonged period of time can cause damage to your hearing.

Last week, Oxford resident Janice McLaughlin sent a picture of a white-eyed cicada found in her yard. Most cicadas have bright red eyes. Other colors are interesting and relatively rare – though contrary to some internet memes, not valuable.

This week, McLaughlin sent a photo of a cicada with peach-colored eyes, which she artfully posed on a peach-colored rose. Let’s hear it for infinite beauty in infinite variety.

The Brood X cicadas are expected to be all around us through the end of June. Enjoy the buzz and send us interesting pictures, accounts or recipes that mark your experience with the bugs. The Observer will post a selection of pieces every week through June.