GIANT CICADAS, 1: Hear that? It's your new neighbor 
 ... we'll make the introductions on Passport to Texas ... 
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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

(SFX - cicada ... run under script and sound bite) 

If you live in Central Texas, you have a new neighbor. It's 
the Giant Whining Cicada and its song matches its name! 
 
It has just blanketed Central Texas from San Antonio to Austin, 
to Bastrop, down to Seguin. It is getting loud in certain places. 


Mike Quinn, invertebrate biologist for Texas Parks and 
Wildlife, says reports of this beast of an insect began 
flying into his office mid-June, from south central and 
southeast Texas.
 
From San Marcos - south -- and parts of the border between 
Travis and Bastrop counties; I'm getting good reports from 
Victoria, down closer to the coast. And, then from Corpus 
Christi on south. 
 
Historical data from the 1930's put the giant cicada in San 
Antonio; yet, over the decades they died back, and we 
haven't seen them this far north in nearly seventy years. 
It's anyone's guess why they've suddenly migrated en 
masse to Central Texas.

It's not unheard of that critters move north. This is not just a 
stray or two; this is a kind of a general population movement. 
And, I just attribute it to the general warming conditions.

More on the giant whining cicada tomorrow ... 

That's our show for today ... For Texas Parks and 
Wildlife ... I'm Cecilia Nasti.