By Sarah Dugan
Though the distinctive call of the loon has become emblematic of Minnesota nature, no soundtrack of our state would be complete without the buzzes and chirps of the many insects that live in our parks and backyards. Accompanying us as we walk by an open field, or droning in the background on a warm evening, the sounds may seem indistinguishable, but each species has a unique call just like birds or frogs. Insects also have many of the same reasons as other animals for making noise: to find mates, to let others know where they are, and to warn of potential threats. In addition to variations in the tone and pattern of their sounds, the time of day, and year, can help distinguish between species.
The most familiar drone might be from dog-day, or annual, cicadas, which call from trees during warm days of summer into early September. Like all cicadas, they make sounds with specialized structures in their abdomens called tymbals. When the tymbals pop in and out very quickly, the vibrations blend together like a drum roll making a long buzzing sound. By Fall, cicadas are done mating, or have become food for other animals, and their noise dies down for another year.
However, some insects continue to sing well into the Fall. The other main group we hear in Minnesota, called orthoptera, includes grasshoppers, crickets and katydids. Most of the species in this group spend the winter as eggs, emerging in late spring as nymphs, which look like small, wingless versions of their adult forms. These critters don’t start singing until they reach adulthood in mid- to late summer, when their wings have fully developed and they are ready to mate and lay eggs. They make noise by rubbing a wing across small comb-like structures on their other wing or legs. Amplified by the shape of the wings and body, these chirping vibrations can become quite loud, as anyone who has been kept awake by a cricket in the house knows.
Come to Kroening Nature Center this month to learn more about orthoptera and other insects at upcoming family programs or with our free adventure hub kits!
Nature Tots: Six Legs · Saturday, September 6, 10:30-11:30 a.m. | Free | Ages 2-6 | Activity #21684. Find out what it takes to be an insect and become a junior entomologist! Discover the difference between bugs, insects and other creepy crawlies as we search the park and try our hand at catching these six-legged creatures.
Family Funday: Crickets and Grasshoppers · Saturday, September 13, 10:30 a.m.-noon | free | all ages | activity #21688. Grab a net and join a naturalist on a hunt for grasshoppers and crickets hopping through the prairie. Learn about the adaptations that allow these insects to eat, move and communicate. Play hopping games and help make a grasshopper display for the nature center.
Nature Art: Fall Centerpieces · Saturday, September 20, 1:30-2:30 p.m. | free | all ages | activity #21692. Explore what happens to plants after they finish flowering. Take a walk through the prairie to collect dried seed heads from prairie flowers and bring them back to the nature center to arrange into a beautiful and interesting centerpiece.
Star Party · Saturday, September 20, 8-10 p.m. | Free | all ages | activity #25592. Come celebrate the night skies! Join Kroening for the Bell Museum’s Statewide Star Party. This year’s theme, Aurora Voyage: Chasing the Northern Lights, is an invitation to celebrate the beauty of Minnesota’s northern skies and learn more about this beloved phenomenon. Hands-on activities and (weather dependent) night sky viewing make this a fun evening for all ages!
Birding in the Park: Fall Plumage · Friday, September 26, 9-10:30 a.m. | $9/person | ages 18+ | Activity #21726. Observe a variety of birds while strolling through the park with a naturalist. This month we will be keeping an eye out for fall migrants and learning how a bird’s feathers may change from summer to fall. All experience levels welcome, binoculars available.
Nature in Focus: Collecting Seeds in the Fall Prairie · Saturday, September 27, 1–2:30 p.m. | $9/person | ages 18+ | activity #21696. Walk through a restored prairie with a naturalist to discover the colors and textures of the fall prairie and learn tips to identify common prairie plants even after they have finished blooming. Practice collecting seeds and learn about starting prairie plants from seed.
Campfire Sing-Along Prairie · Tuesday, September 30, 6-7:30 p.m. | $9/person | ages 18+ | activity #18824. Join us around the campfire, as Dean plays the guitar and leads us in singing songs that are fun, upbeat and harmonious. Most of all, the songs are easy to sing and remember. Take a walk with a naturalist and enjoy making smores as well.