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Updated June 10th, 2021 at 15:57 IST

Joe Biden attacked by cicada ahead of first overseas trip, says 'It just got me'

US President Joe Biden attacked by cicada before getting on Air Force One on June 9 for his first foreign trip since taking over office on January 20.

Reported by: Aanchal Nigam
Cicada insect
IMAGE: AP | Image:self
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While all eyes were on US President Joe Biden on June 9 as he was about to embark upon the first foreign trip since taking over office on January 20, he was attacked by a cicada before getting on Air Force One. US President was seen brushing a cicada from the back of his neck when he was chatting with his Air Force greeter after arriving at Joint Base Andrews for the flight on Wednesday. With insects flying around, Biden also told the reporters after getting attacked, “Watch out for the cicadas...I just got one. It just got me.”

The Washington DC area is one among the several parts of the country that have been swarmed by Brood X cicadas. There is a large emergence of the noisy 17-year insects that take to dive-bombing onto moving vehicles and passersby. Even Biden’s press plane was delayed for as long as seven hours as their chartered plane was attacked by a horde of cicadas late Tuesday (local time). The insects have emerged after spending 17 years underground which is a regular cycle where they burst out of the soil to shed their skin, mate, lay eggs and then eventually perish. 

As per the Associated Press, the University of Maryland entomologist Paula Shrewsbury said that there are trillions of them in Washington, Maryland and Virginia region. According to entomologists, cicadas sing to attract mates with ‘science-fiction-sounding hums’ appear to be attracted to other noises. The experts suggested that the same could have happened with the planes as they took off.

Bugs tried to stow away on Air Force Two

While Biden faced a cicada attack on Tuesday, the same bugs had also tried to stow away on Air Force Two on Sunday when US Vice President Kamala Harris flew to Guatemala. The cicadas were reportedly caught hiding in folds of the shirts of a Secret Service agent as well as a photographer before escorting off the plane ahead of takeoff. As per the Associated Press, Shrewbury said, “The loud machine-made noise fools cicadas who interpret the noise as a cicada chorus that they want to join and they fly towards it...I have noted when airplanes fly over my house, the cicadas increase their chorusing sound level, potentially competing with the aircraft noise.”

IMAGE: AP
 

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Published June 10th, 2021 at 15:57 IST

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