Cicadas

Cicadas

 

Cicadas, that are physically known by their large compound eyes, clear-membraned wings, broadheads, and stout bodies, are individuals of superfamily Cicadoidea.

There are 2 categories of cicadas, that are broken down into over three thousand species. The first category is periodical cicadas, who only emerge once every 10-20 years as they spend most of their lives underground. The other category is called annual cicadas, and they are spotted every year.

Annual cicadas, regardless of their name, live between 2-5 years. Anyway, some others live more. Some of them appear every summer as their brood life cycles overlap. On the other hand, the periodical cicadas, who’re split among fifteen brood cycles, can be found in several geographic regions. They, in general, last between 13-17 years. Some insects were considered rebirth’s powerful symbols because of their unusual life cycles.

 

Overview:

GROUP NAME: Cloud, plague

LIFE EXPECTANCY: Up to 17 years

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Cicadoidea

COMMON NAME: Cicadas

DIET: Herbivore

TYPE: Invertebrates

SIZE: 1.9-5.7 cm

 

Geographic range

 

Periodical cicadas can only be found in North America, while we can find them all over the world. The main areas of periodicals in the eastern and central regions of the US.

 

Life cycle

There are 3 stages in the life cycle of cicadas: eggs, nymphs, and adults. Up to 400 eggs can be laid by one female cicada. The females do not lay all the eggs in the same place like twigs and branches, as they try to keep them divided in order to keep as much of them alive as they can. The eggs are hatched in 6-10 weeks. The young nymphs then suck the plant roots’ liquids by digging themselves into the ground. They stay there until their surfacing and shells are molted.

 

The length is varied depending on the developmental process. However, depending on the soil temperature and year, the periodical cicadas appear in synchrony. They start breeding when the ground’s temperature is 18°C (65°F). Some theories by scientists state that having oddly times cycles and distinct for cicadas is to avoid predators, but nothing is clear yet.

 

Vocalizations

Cicada insects have the ability to create clicking and buzzing noises, and some insects amplify them! However, some of the cicada species have the ability to produce more noises than others. These sounds, that look like humans’, vary widely. Furthermore, cicadas use them to attract mates or express alarm.

 

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