How Ants Respond to the Cicada Boom: Georgetown’s Martha Weiss Leads NSF-Funded Research
A new NSF-funded project led by Georgetown University’s Dr. Martha Weiss aims to find out what happens to forest food webs when billions of cicadas emerge by focusing on often-overlooked creatures: ants.
Every 13 or 17 years, the forests of the eastern U.S. erupt with the buzzing of billions of periodical cicadas emerging in synchronized cycles. These events bring a sudden, massive influx of food—a nutritional ‘pulse’—to the forest ecosystem. But while cicada emergences are well-documented for their impact on birds and mammals, less is known about how they influence smaller, often-overlooked creatures, including one of the most abundant animals on the planet: ants.
With the support of a new National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, Georgetown Biology Professor and ECo Faculty Network Member Martha Weiss and her collaborators—Prof. John Lill of George Washington University and Prof. Sean Menke of Lake Forest College—will study how forest ants respond to this temporary feast. The project, “Emergent Properties of Biomass Pulses: Uncovering the Ant-mediated Effects of Periodical Cicadas on Forest Ecosystems,” will examine whether ants continue performing their essential ecosystem functions when confronted with a sudden, high-protein windfall.
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What Happens When Ants Get an All-You-Can-Eat Buffet?
Ants are ecosystem engineers, responsible for dispersing wildflower seeds, protecting plants from herbivores, tending aphids, and scavenging dead insects. But when cicadas emerge in staggering numbers, they provide an irresistible, energy-rich food source. The big question is: Will ants abandon their normal jobs to take advantage of this once-in-a-generation opportunity?
Understanding these dynamics has real-world implications beyond academic curiosity. The study’s findings could provide new insights into how forest ecosystems respond to change, including climate-driven shifts in species interactions. Many of the ecosystem services ants provide—such as seed dispersal and decomposition—are relevant to both forestry and agriculture, meaning that changes in their behavior could have cascading effects.
Students conducting research in the field with John Lill. Photo by Martha Weiss.
In addition to fieldwork and data collection, this NSF-funded project includes an ambitious public outreach and education component. Not only will Weiss and her colleagues give hands-on experience to students by training undergraduate researchers, but the team has developed “Friend to Cicadas,” a bilingual digital education program designed to train and empower teachers throughout the periodical cicada range. By providing engaging activities and learning materials, the program aims to spark curiosity and appreciation for these unique natural events among students of all ages.
Looking Ahead: Brood XIV Emergence and Beyond
This three-year research effort will coincide with the upcoming Brood XIV cicada emergence, expected to blanket parts of the eastern U.S. in 2025. By closely observing ant behavior before, during, and after the emergence, Weiss and her colleagues hope to uncover new ecological insights into how sudden food surpluses ripple through ecosystems.
