📜 EwA Week Highlights: Spittlebugs, Cicadas, and Gingertails

[Mike McGlathery]

EwA Highlights June 9, 2025 Hello everyone,  Thanks for reading the June 9th EwA highlights. 📸 I’ve said this many times before in these highlights: some of my favorite observations are those that give us a window into the tiny worlds that wait all around us if we stop and look. I think this observation of pinewood gingertail (Xeromphalina campanella) mushrooms does just that. EwA iNaturalist Record (© Deana Tempest Thomas · Chepachet, RI · June 6, 2025)  You may have started to see lots of meadow spittlebugs (Philaenus spumarius) when you’re out observing. The foamy nests you’re seeing contain the nymph of this insect, and they help both to protect the nymph from predators and to stabilize its environmental conditions. Unfortunately, this species is not native to New England and were brought here as a result of human activity. EwA iNaturalist Record (© gsarajg · Cambridge, MA · June 2, 2025)  A few species tied for the title of EwA’s most observed this week, among them the pharaoh cicada (Magicicada septendecim). These cicadas take 17 years to complete their life cycle, and this brood last appeared in 2008. Massachusetts is towards the northern end of the brood’s range, and they seem to mostly occur around the base of Cape Cod. Claire spotlighted this species herself last week—seeing them is truly a rare occurrence up here in Massachusetts. EwA iNaturalist Record (© Claire O’Neill · Falmouth, MA · May 31, 2025)  📊 Thanks to everyone for your great biodiversity records this week, totaling 1,065 observations of 577 distinct species. If you’re curious about the records from this week that have been validated by the iNat community so far, you can find them » here. 🏆 Running tally: To date, we have recorded 236,772 observations of 12,581 distinct species! Check out our EwA umbrella project, see the details per site/observer, and more » here. 📅 EwA Upcoming Public Events Ewa Field Events » Check the EwA Summer [ Event details and registration » ] Don’t miss some great opportunities to follow the rhythm of the season in our local habitats and in the local wildlife! Space is limited for all our field events. Wildlife ethics is important to us and we seek to avoid putting the pressure on natural habitats which large gatherings unavoidably do. We are asking our audience to register-and-commit (or cancel when you know you can’t come) to avoid no-shows. EwA Fieldwork (and Resources) It’s a great time to join our monitoring programs. Check EwA’s Volunteer Program Calendar 📅  to know when things happen. And if a session is of interest to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to get the rendezvous location. 📅 EwA Sites Map | 🌱 Site Protocols and Guides · Field Rosters · Field Notes » All here! | ℹ️ More about EwA’s Citizen Science Program » Here ❓ Do you have any questions? Don’t be shy. Just email me or reply to this thread.  That’s all for this week—hope you have a good one! -Mike