Noisy Cicadas
Cicada - Periodical Cicada ( Magiciada septenedecim ),
Empress Cicada - ( Pomponia imperatoria )
There are between 1,500 to 2,000 species of cicada around the world. Most of cicadas live in the tropics. They are one of the loudest insects in the world. They can be heard a mile away. They sing using a special organ located on the side of the abdomen. You only hear the males because the females are mute. The females can hear though. While I’m on the subject of hearing, cicadas can turn off their hearing when singing to avoid going deaf. The empress cicada is one of the largest cicadas and has a wingspan of 8 inches. Periodical Cicadas were called locusts by the early American settlers. The largest species of cicada and even some of the smaller species may be used for food.
Most cicadas if not all cicadas follow the same life pattern as our periodical cicada. Though the time, they spend in the ground as larva maybe different. A periodical cicada female lays 400 to 500 eggs. Upon hatching the babies head for the ground and burrow into it. Once underground, the larva feed on the roots of plants sucking the juices from them. The periodical cicada spends 17 to 18 years underground. When they do finally emerge, they tend to emerge in bunches. Once out into the sunlight, the cicada nymphs molt into the adult form. It may take each cicada up to 6 days for their exoskeleton to harden. Once that exoskeleton is hardened, the cicadas go about the business of finding a mate, mating, and laying the next generation.
I find that many people don’t take advantage of learning about our wildlife. There are so many misconceptions about wild things. Hopefully by writing these articles, I’m allowing you to learn a little bit more about the world around you. I admit not every animal featured in these articles are cute enough to cuddle. Still, these animals are worth learning about simply because, we live with them. Hope you enjoyed this little peak into the world of cicadas. Enjoy the rest of the pictures and the links.
Comments