@futurebird@irizoris I don't know of any rigorous work on it, but I assume the basic eco-evolutionary theory on why the broods come out so rarely and in such numbers is the same as trees masting—that the sheer abundance of a prey species all at once and not that often just overwhelms the predator ability to consume, so that even though it's a feeding bonanza more cicadas get to mate and reproduce than get eaten?
Add comment