CHICAGO (CBS) — Experts call this a one in a million chance.
Extremely rare blue-eyed cicada was found in Wheaton.
Now it will go on display at the Field Museum as part of its rare collections, and the local family who discovered it talk about their fantastic find.
“This is actually a one-time event, as it only happens once every 221 years.”
Jim Louderman of the Field Museum talks about the rare blue-eyed cicada.
“The last time both 17- and 13-year cicadas emerged or merged at the same time was 221 years ago, and Benjamin Franklin was still around.”
Louderman is a collections assistant at the Field Museum. He said the blue-eyed crickets are a genetic mutation that occurs rarely.
“The lowest estimates are less than one in 200,000 and there are other estimates that could be anywhere from one in a million to one in hundreds of millions,” Louderman said.
Four-year-old Jack Bailey found the blue-eyed cicada in his family’s yard in Wheaton.
“I was so angry at first when he brought it out. I was screaming,” said Sister Caroline Bailey.
But later that evening, his twin sisters, Caroline and Addison Bailey, were able to find it again.
“Me and her went outside with a flashlight because it was pitch black. Then we went to where she said she let him go, and that’s when we found him again,” Addison Bailey said.
“Can you imagine how rare it is to find it once and then find it again,” Louderman said.
The family dropped off the rare cicada at the Field Museum, where they will conduct DNA testing.
“We hope to learn which gene causes the eye to be blue,” Louderman said.
The museum is also hosting a cicada pinning class on Wednesday, May 29 at 7 p.m
“If you’re afraid of crickets, don’t be afraid. They don’t bite. They don’t do anything,” said Addison Bailey.
The museum said it could extend the debit card classes if there is a large turnout.
