Not Just COVID-19, This Could Be Year Of The Insects - Murder Hornets, Locusts And Now Cicadas
The year 2020 will be remembered most for the COVID-19 pandemic, the worst health crisis the world has seen in a long time.While this is happening there also some other creepy things going around in several parts of the world.?
One of the first such reports emerged from the United States earlier this month after Asian giant hornets were seen in several places.The giant bees also known as murderous hornets were first spotted in the US in 2019.There have been four confirmed sightings of the Asian giant hornets in the United States, along with two more in Canada.?
Asian giant hornets are the world's largest hornet species and they are genuinely scary as they grow 1.5 to 2 inches long and can sting multiple times with a stinger that can pierce clothing and even beekeepers' protective gear.?
The hornets can wipe out beehives and go into a "slaughter mode" where they decapitate every bee inside, according to the department's website.They don't generally attack people or pets, but they will if threatened. There is a growing fear that the predatory species may decimate the native bees in the US.?
Desert locusts?
Right now India is in the midst of what is being described as the worst locust invasion in three decades. Several states like Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Telangana have already reported the presence of locust there.?
These desert locusts which originate in the Horn of Africa then travels through Iran and then Pakistan before entering India.This year the locust swarms have come early as against the normal season of July- September.?
The rising temperatures aid the locusts to bread faster and multiply in a matter of days, which is making the attack even deadlier this years.
The swarms can spread across kilometers descent on one location and eat up the entire vegetation there in a matter of hours.The locust attack could be a serious blow to the agriculture sector which is already in a bad shape.It could also seriously hamper India's food security in the coming days.?
Cicadas?
Just a couple of days ago reports have surfaced that cicadas have been spotted emerging from underground in parts of the United States.Periodical cicadas are expected to come out in early summer across southwest Virginia, parts of North Carolina, and in West Virginia.?
Theses cicadas had been underground for 17 years and were last spotted in 2003.Though they cannot harm humans directly, the National Institutes of Health notes that cicadas can make as much noise as a motorcycle.?
“Male cicadas use drum-like structures on their abdomen called tymbals to create a loud, high-pitched buzz to attract female companions, who respond with a quick flick of their wings together,” it explains on its website. “This mating call and response, which sounds to some like the whining of electrical wires rising and falling, can reach over 90 decibels.”
