Climate change may very likely make the atmosphere warmer and more humid. The increased moisture and warmth could allow fungi, cicadas, and plants to thrive.
The diet of cicadas is the xylem fluid in plant roots. If plants are thriving then cicadas will have an abundance of food, which I speculate could result in two branching species: Magicicada magna and Magicicada octo
Magicicada magna
As the name implies Magicicada magna is much larger than its relatives. They use their ample food source to grow large bodies in their 17 year nymph phase. Their heavy bodies mean that it takes more energy to fly, mate, and evade predators. To help conserve energy they have stark black bodies to absorb sunlight efficiently.
Massospora cicadina has also evolved to complement this species. The fungi creates an even greater amount of the stimulant canonine than its ancestor so that the insects have enough energy to complete their excessive mating. M. cicadina also does not destroy the genitals as quickly because it erupts through the back rather than making the abdomen fall off.
Magicicada octo
Magicicada octo evolved in quite a different way than its relative. Their increased access to food causes the nymphs to mature at an accelerated rate, cutting their 17 year growth phase down to 8 years. These cicadas are much smaller and faster and do not need to sunbask nearly as long to conserve energy. In fact if they get too much sun the cicadas open their wings to reveal their waxy white bodies to repel sunlight.
Massospora cicadina behaves similarly to its ancestor, but it has evolved to sync up with the insects accelerated life cycle. The fungus still destroys the abdomen and genitals of the cicada, but it has an increase in the psychoactive drug psilocybin to keep the bug unaware of its deformities during its mating frenzy.
Whats up next?
As of now I am going to draw the two species of cicadas from different angles, perhaps doing activities like mating or eating. I will then color each insect with water color and colored pencils. Then I will bring them into photoshop and edit them onto the 'book pages' (like my example from my week 1 post).
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