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Cicada Population Density is Correlated with the Urban Heat Island Effect in Metropolitan Seoul
In Korea, Cryptotympana atrata and Hyalessa fuscata are the most abundant cicada species, and their population densities were 2.8-9.5 times higher in urban areas than in rural areas. It has been suggested that the urban heat island effect (UHI), which is higher temperatures in urban areas than in surrounding areas due to human activities, underlied the population density differences between urban and rural areas. To elucidate the relationship between UHI and cicada population density, we compared cicada population densities in three groups: areas of high and low UHI in metropolitan Seoul as well as areas in the vicinity of Seoul. C. atrata and H. fuscata constituted almost 30% and 70% of the exuviae, respectively, collected across all sampling localities. Moreover, no difference in species composition was observed among groups. The densities of C. atrata and H. fuscata were 14 and 41 times higher in high UHI areas than in low UHI areas. Furthermore, the degree of UHI was significantly correlated with densities of both C. atrata and H. fuscata. In summary, these results support that higher temperatures during the development may cause population increases of C. atrata and H. fuscata.
