11 "Musicians" from France Arrive in the UK: The Grand Rescue Operation of Endangered Cicadas

Ⅰ. In Pursuit of the Lost "Singer of the Forest"

Since the last time an entomologist walking in the New Forest heard the cicada's call in the 1990s, British summers have grown quieter. The only native cicada species, Cicadetta montana—commonly known as the "New Forest Cicada"—is believed to have gone extinct in the wild due to habitat loss from deforestation and changes in undergrowth managementen.wikipedia.org.

Ⅱ. The Path of the Reintroduction Project

In 2013, even a "Cicada Hunt" app was launched to detect ultrasound with smartphones, but it yielded no resultsblogs.bl.uk. Alarmed, the Species Recovery Trust turned its attention to the Pas-de-Calais region in France, where the species is relatively abundant within the EU. Collaborating with local entomologists, they successfully captured 11 females on the night of June 11, 2025countryfile.com.

The collection was conducted with extreme caution. On a calm afternoon with temperatures exceeding 25°C, they scanned the canopy with ultrasonic microphones to locate males. The moment a female, searching for a mate, flew in, they caught her with a long-handled net. Without using anesthesia, they transported them to the UK within 48 hours.

Ⅲ. The New Home is Designed Like a "Concert Hall"

The new habitat is an 8 m × 10 m warm enclosure set up within a theme park on the outskirts of the New Forest. It contains plants like raspberries and hazel with fine branches ideal for egg-laying, and the ground is sandy loam to ensure good drainage. The temperature is remotely controlled to maintain around 28°C during the day and 18°C at night. Four high-frequency microphones and underground sensors at 20 cm intervals are installed for monitoring their calls.

Ⅳ. The Key to Success is "Four Years of Silence"

Cicadas have a long life cycle. It takes 4 to 6 years from egg-laying to emergence, with nymphs feeding on tree roots 20 cm undergroundphys.org. The average lifespan of the released females is just four weeks. The challenge is whether the eggs they lay will hatch and sing their first song in the summer of 2029.

Ⅴ. Is Climate Change an Enemy or an Ally?

In recent years, the UK's average summer temperature has risen by 1.6°C compared to 1884. This is predicted to be favorable for C. montana, which prefers temperature over humiditynbcrightnow.com. However, extreme heat could dry out vegetation, reducing food resources for the nymphs. Therefore, the research team has also set up experimental plots with shade nets to locally reduce temperatures by 2°C.

Ⅵ. A "Long-term Series" Watched Over by Social Media

UK—On X, over 1,500 tweets of joy with the hashtag #NewForestCicada were posted in a day, exclaiming "Audio returns to the forest!" A Guardian article link was reposted over 8,000 times in seven hoursthe-independent.com.

Japan—Late-night insect enthusiasts excitedly compared it to the "Higurashi of Shikoku," and some even cited UK local footage as ASMR videos. Environmental NGO staff explained it as a "hint for satoyama revitalization" in blogs.

USA—At the same time, the periodical cicada Brood XIV emerged in large numbers, sparking reverse-import jokes on Reddit like "Is the UK envious?" Self-deprecating comments such as "You guys are noisy by the trillions" were also notedreddit.com.

Ⅶ. The Dilemma of Conservation and Tourism

If the reintroduction is successful, public viewing is planned for the early 2030s. However, there are concerns that large numbers of visitors might damage the larvae through trampling. Solutions being considered include "virtual observation with audio guides only" and "live streaming via aerial drones."

VIII. Implications for Japan

In Japan, a decline in cicada diversity due to urbanization and the dominance of the kumazemi has been reportedzoologicalletters.biomedcentral.com. Strategies to protect the habitat of underground nymphs are key, such as forest floor management where shaded areas and open spaces are distributed in a mosaic pattern, as seen in New Forest. The UK's challenge could become a model case for recreating a "cicada soundscape" in urban areas.

IX. Future Milestones

• Summer 2026: First detection of nymph activity sounds using underground acoustic sensors planned

• Autumn 2027: Investigation of the appearance of "soil towers" (turrets) on the surface

• May to July 2029: Planning of the first adult emergence and singing event

• 2030s: Consideration of additional introductions from France and Slovenia to enhance genetic diversity

X. Conclusion

Cicadas are not just a noisy summer tradition; they are the "heartbeat" of forest ecosystems. The 11 "singers" are now silently preparing their stage underground. In four years, the day will come when the high-frequency chorus fills New Forest once again. The value of us listening lies not just in the sound, but in the "story of reclaiming lost nature."

References & Sources

• Phys.org "Musical cicadas brought back to UK from France"phys.org

• AFP via Yahoo News Article Summary phys.org

• BBC Wildlife "Lost-long 'singing' insect returns to Britain after vanishing three decades ago"discoverwildlife.com

• Countryfile Magazine "'Like bringing them back from the dead': singing cicadas return to UK"countryfile.com

• Independent "Extinct insects return to UK: 'Like bringing them back from the dead'"the-independent.com

• Wikipedia "Cicadetta montana"en.wikipedia.org

• Reddit r/Entomology Thread Comment (UK User's Statement)reddit.com