Cicadas, facts and photos

Common Name:

Cicadas

Scientific Name:

Cicadoidea

Type:

Invertebrates

Diet:

Herbivore

Group Name:

Cloud, plague

Average Life Span In The Wild:

Up to 17 years

Size:

0.75 to 2.25 inches

Size relative to a paper clip:

What are cicadas?

Cicadas belong to the Cicadoidea superfamily. They have distinct physical features, including stout bodies, broad heads, clear-membraned wings, and large compound eyes.

More than 3,000 species fall into roughly two categories. Annual cicadas appear every year, while periodical cicadas spend most of their lives underground, emerging once every decade or two.

Cicadas are famous for their years-long absences, only to reappear in force at a regular interval. Despite their name, annual cicadas generally live for two to five years, although some species may live longer.

Additionally, their brood life cycles can overlap, meaning that every summer, some emerge. Even periodical cicadas occur most years in different geographic regions. These cicadas are split among 15 brood cycles, with each cycle lasting 13 or 17 years.

Cultural significance and symbolism

The cicadas’ amazing lifestyle has been a source of fascination since ancient times. Several cultures regarded these insects as powerful symbols of rebirth because of their unusual life cycles.

Early Chinese folklore considered cicadas high-status creatures, whose purity rulers sought to emulate. Indeed, imperial court wardrobes in the seventh century incorporate motifs of these winged creatures.

In Native American cultures, particularly among the Hopi, cicadas symbolize two flute-playing healers, known as maahu. These spiritual beings guide souls to the “fourth world.” Among many Onondaga people, cicadas can represent survival.

Geographic range

While annual cicadas thrive throughout the world, periodicals are unique to North America. Periodical broods are most prevalent in the central and eastern regions of the United States. Some areas are home to multiple broods.

Experts expect Brood XIV to be one of the largest periodical cicada emergences, with a trillion hatching in 2025. Despite their mind-boggling numbers, cicadas are not harmful. In fact, they’re edible. Insect enthusiasts can upload images of this brood as they hatch via the Cicada Safari app.

Life cycle

Cicadas live through three stages: eggs, nymphs, and adults. Female periodical cicadas can lay up to 600 rice-shaped eggs divided among dozens of sites—generally in twigs and branches.

After six to 10 weeks, hatched nymphs burrow into the ground to suck the liquids of plant roots. They spend their entire developmental period in these underground dens. After a time, they molt their shells and surface as adults to mate and lay eggs.

The developmental process varies in length. Depending on the year and soil temperature, periodical broods emerge in synchrony. They wait for the right conditions for breeding—typically when the ground thaws to about 64.5°F (~18°C) in a brood’s designated year.

Experts don’t know why cicadas have such distinct, oddly timed cycles. Some scientists theorize it has to do with avoiding predators.

Environmental impact

As many as 1.5 million cicadas can crowd into a single acre, but periodical cicadas don’t create destructive plagues like some locusts do. Unlike locusts, cicadas don’t eat vegetation but rather drink the sap from tree branches, roots, and twigs.

Large numbers of cicadas can overwhelm and damage young trees by feeding and laying eggs in them. However, older trees usually escape without serious damage because cicadas don’t stick around for long. Adult cicadas die about four to six weeks after emerging.

Cicada sounds

Cicadas produce buzzing and clicking noises. Multitudes of insects can amplify these sounds into an overpowering hum. Male cicadas produce this species-specific noise with vibrating membranes on their abdomens to attract females.

The sounds vary widely. Some species are more musical than others. Although cicada noises may sound alike to humans, the insects use different calls to express alarm or attract mates.