The Lunenburg Public Library isn’t just a place for readers and a gathering spot for people—it’s also a community center for hundreds of fascinating, non-human visitors! Take a closer look… You never know who you might meet!

This Week’s Visitor 

Dog-Day Cicada

Periodical cicadas have mostly disappeared by this time of year, but dog-day cicadas are still making their presence known!

The most common cicadas in Massachusetts, these robust insects spend several years developing underground before emerging as adults. They’re solitary creatures that spend much of their time in trees and are known for a loud, distinctive chirping.

After emerging from the ground, a cicada climbs a tree, splits open its old exoskeleton, and slowly pulls itself free—leaving behind a papery shell as evidence of its transformation.

Dog-day cicada after molting

Photo Credit: Gennifer Belt Bousquet

Name: Dog-day cicada (Neotibicen canicularis)

Library Status: Summer visitor

Favorite Section: The trees

Checks Out: Tree sap for energy

Superpower: Cicadas make an astonishingly loud noise when trying to attract a mate. You may hear one long before you see it!

Borrowed Knowledge: Cicadas are a popular, high-protein snack for many songbirds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals, and they also benefit the mature hardwood trees where they live by aerating the soil near the roots.

Who Else Is Visiting the LPL? 

The gardens surrounding the library provide food, shelter and nesting opportunities for native bees, moths, butterflies, beetles, flies, wasps, birds and many other wildlife throughout the year.

When you visit, imagine the remarkable story unfolding around you. Native plants and wildlife have evolved together over thousands of years, forming relationships that help each other survive. Every flower, leaf, seed, and visiting creature is part of that story. Together, they keep our local ecosystems healthy.

How to Explore the Gardens

You can get quite close to many of the flowers if you walk on the sidewalk, children’s path, and gravel walkways between the gardens and building.

As you explore: 

• Look closely at flowers and leaves before moving on. Do you spot a visitor?

• Are there clues that someone has been there? Maybe the edge of a leaf has been nibbled or a leafcutter bee has cut a perfect round circle out of a smooth leaf. 

• Notice which insects prefer which plants. Are some plants “busier” than others? 

• Listen for buzzing and watch for movement and flashes of color. 

• Take pictures and share what you discover with library staff!

Nature rewards patience. Some of our visitors are shy, so you may have to sit quietly for a few minutes—or even return another day—to meet them. 

You may also want to try visiting at different times of day to discover even more. Some creatures are early risers, while others may not become active until later in the day or at night.