Half bugged

D4rw1n: Zombie cicada (top) showing fungal growth. Non-zombie cicada for comparison 

b1-66er: Are they loud where you are?

D4: At peak last week they were loud enough you had to raise your voice to have a normal conversation outdoors 

Now they're mostly done and the loudest sound is the constant dropping onto the ground as they die 

b1: CRAZY!

did it ever feel 'creepy infestation' to you, or was it always just a weird thing?

Does the 'outbreak' create a smell?

What do you reckon it's like to be a 17 year bug, F-I-N-A-L-L-Y crawl out of the ground only to get zombiefied at your moment of glory?

D4: Raking up magnolia leaves in the front lawn and having a good 20% of the bulk be a mix of live cicadas, dead cicadas and molted exoskeletons felt a tiny bit creepy infestation. And seeing them in their thousands on the street in the same mix also gives that feeling, a bit 

They do have a slight dead flesh odor as they die and decay. Subtle but distinct 

The zombie ending is just the worst. It is such a triumph for the selfish fungus DNA and such a loss for the poor bastard just minding his cicada business of getting it on with other cicadas 

Shot ©2021 D4rp1x

Used by permission