Concert bugged

HIGHLAND PARK, ILL. — The longtime Ravinia Festival has revised its summer concert schedule because of the buzz created by a certain red-eyed bug. Cicadas, known for their loud hum and unique 17-year life cycle, are expected to make a debut this June.

So officials from the almost 103-year-old music festival will move several outdoor concerts indoors. They also pushed the date of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's annual summer concerts back to July 6, later in the season than usual.

By then, the chirping critters should cease.

The subtleties of the music "would get completely lost and drowned out," said Welz Kauffman Ravinia Festival president and CEO.

The 1 1/2-inch-long black bugs, which can number several hundred thousand per acre, don't sting or bite. Once they emerge, they spend their two-week lives climbing trees, shedding their crunchy skins and reproducing — and making lots of noise.

While some types of cicadas hatch each year, others arrive in 13- or 17-year cycles. Many of the insects also appear localized in different parts of Illinois.

Often mistaken for locusts, periodic cicadas last emerged in large numbers in the state in 1990.

In anticipation for this year's appearance, several museums, including Chicago's Notebaert Nature Museum, are planning special exhibits.

"They're really cool to watch," said Doug Taron, Notebaert's curator of biology. "They have these bright red eyes. And you can eat them."