May 07, 2024
Meghan O'Toole
Sean Menke makes front page of Chicago Tribune
Professor of Biology Sean Menke is known for his extensive research on ant populations. This year, with two broods of cicadas emerging, he is investigating how the winged insects impact local ants.
His research piqued the interest of Chicago Tribune reporter Adriana Pérez, who visited campus on April 30 to interview Menke and learn more about the cicada-related research he is working on.
This year's cicada emergence is of particular interest because it is the first time in 221 years that two specific broods, Brood XIX composed of four species that appear every 13 years in the Southeast, and Brood XIII, which is composed of three species that appear every 17 years in northern Illinois.
“With the weather we’ve been having, there’s some concern that they’re going to be emerging earlier,” Menke was quoted in the story. “And we’re hearing reports from people that they’re finding the tunnel(s) that they dig in the Chicago suburbs.”
The story made the front page of the Chicago Tribune on May 3.