dog days

Summer must be here. Last evening on a bike ride down the Third Creek Greenway, we heard the first Dogday harvestflies, i.e. cicadas calling from the trees in Tyson Park, so what more proof could you want?

Since the ancient Greeks and Romans, the sultry, hot period between July and early September was known as the Dog Days. The Dog Star Sirius (the brightest star) and the Sun were in the sky at the same time, which they thought made the days hotter. It was believed to be an evil time "when the seas boiled, wine turned sour, dogs grew mad, and all creatures became languid.” (If you have a dog, watch to see if it shows any unusual behavior. An overall sulky mood, malaise or grouchiness is to be expected in the summer heat, but watch out for madness. If you determine that it's agitated, speak to it gently and try to find out why its hackles are up.)

Back it insects: male cicadas look like large green flies. They buzzzzzzz from the trees to attract females. The louder they call, the better chances they have of finding a mate. The he-bugs also tend to collect in the same tree, called a “chorus tree,” to create an even louder commotion. How can the she-bugs resist such six-legged machismo?
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