What Is the Cicada Life Cycle?

What is the cicada life cycle? Lucky for you this and many more are what we @pestclue is set to answer in this mind thrilling article. Do well to read on to know more!

 

What are Thrilling Facts About Cicadas?

• Cicadas Have Different Eye Colors

One magic of the cicadas is that their eye colors may range from red eyes to reddish-orange eyes.

Also, they can all have white eyes, blue eyes, yellow eyes, and even multicolored eyes just about every eye color.

Adina fungus, attacks match, gayness. So, this is a fungus that destroys the cicada’s abdomen, or sex organs (especially in males).

They actually start behaving like females, and little flicker wings like females will attract other males.

This fungus is the one predator that is able to get around the long 17-year cicada’s life cycle.

NB. it does spread during mating.

 

• Cicadas are Attracted to Vibrating Power Tools

So cicadas are attracted to vibrating machinery which includes, a saw, a power drill, a lawnmower, etc.

For anything that sort of vibrates mechanically, the cicadas think it is a cicada or a chorus of cicadas.

So, if you have a vibrating power tool such as the mowing lawns, the cicadas will definitely land on you.

Our advice for such cases is this: If you will mow the lawn or do your power tool stuff, do it in the morning or later in the day when these occasional activities are less active and will be less likely to harass you.

 

Read also: Key Facts About Brood X Cicadas

 

• Cicadas Have Five Eyes

Cicadas have two large compound eyes and then they have these three simple eyes.

These eyes are called ocelli, and we believe they are used to detect light and darkness.

They could also probably use them to triangulate the direction of the sun or shadows created by leaves or predators.

 

• Cicadas Eat Tree Fluids

Cicadas do not eat leaves or vegetables. They actually drink what they eat, and what they drink is a particular tree fluid called xylem and probably also absorb phloem too, but xylem is the main component of their diet.

They also have a lot of bacterial symbionts that help them digest the nutrients that are in the xylem and then that’s their food.

Essentially if they were down underground eating cake for 17 years, they will probably be as big as a refrigerator but xylem is not that nutritious so they stay pretty small.

 

• The Cicada’s Sound

The sound that periodical cicadas are known for is produced by the males only and the males have these organs called Tyndalls which vibrate with muscles. The vibration is actually amplified because the insides are Hollow.

Why do the males make these sounds? well, it is simply to attract the females. Attracted females will mate and make more cicadas for future Generations.

 

• There Is Billions of Cicadas On Earth

There are billions and billions of them

as Carl Sagan would say about stars. But why are there so many cicadas? well, we believe this is something called predator satiation (which is an anti-predator adaptation in which smaller insects (prey) briefly occur at high population densities).

 

Read also: How Long Do Mayfly Live? | Lifecycle of Mayfly

 

What Is the Cicada Life Cycle?

They are Called periodical cicadas because they emerge periodically, and not annually. But why are they called “17-year cicadas”? Well, this is because they arrive every 17 years.

The genus of the various species is called Magicicada, and we believe they are kind of magical. Aren’t they?

Historically in the world of flies, grasshoppers, and locusts, people in the new world probably called them locusts because they reminded them either of the locusts of the Bible or locusts of the old world of the Middle East.

Annual cicadas in the Neotibicen genus (dog day cicadas) have a life span of 2-5 years, according to research on cicadas.

The nymphs of cicadas of the genus Magicicada (periodic cicadas) can live for up to 17 years if left undisturbed in their nymphal, underground habitat.

They (locust would arrive in terrifying numbers and consume all the vegetables and food found.

Of course, cicadas also arrive in large numbers. According to Gene Kritsky’s book, “periodical cicadas: the plague in the puzzle”, the first time they were called locusts, was in 1666 by someone named Oldenburg.

Of course, a true Locust is really just a grasshopper. You may have grasshoppers that have those giant hind legs and have those mouth Parts made to masticate vegetable matter, but they are definitely not cicadas.

Just because they are large and arrived in huge numbers, the average person might confuse them for a cicada but that is just a grasshopper/locust.

 

What are the Factors that May Affect the Cicada Life Cycle?

• People Eat Them

People eat:

• Barbecued cicadas
• Popcorn cicadas
• Cicada burgers
• Cicada pasta
• Cicada ice cream
• Cicada pizza
• Cicada cookies, etc

Any way you can think about it, people will cook a cicada.

This habit of eating cicadas has been going on dating back to the Native Americans and the settlers came to America; Once the cicadas emerged, they ate them.

We would advise you to avoid it though and the one reason is that cicadas are known accumulators of mercury.

We’ve actually gathered them and have had our researchers test them for mercury.

Since they have been underground for a long time absorbing chemicals, particularly Mercury, you might not want to avoid adding them to your diet! It is gathered that the texture is sort of like wet cardboard and they taste kind of like Piney shrimp.

 

Read also: Pill Bug; Fact, Habitat, Lifecycle, Species, and Appearance

 

• Animals Eat Cicadas As Well

Animals do not relent in adding this tasty bug to their diet as well.

If the so-called animal has a mouth it is definitely going to eat the cicada and that includes your dog, maybe your Cat, and any kind of wild animal raccoons, squirrels, Birds, etc.

One important note for pet owners is this: Dogs and cats can choke on a cicada if a wing gets lodged in sideways. So do well to always keep an eye on your pets (your dogs and your cats), and make sure that they are not choking on any of the cicadas.

Also, if your neighbor is one who hoses them down with pesticides that are not going to be healthy for your dog either.

 

How Do Cicadas Survive For So Long From Predators?

The idea again is that there are so many of them, but how do they escape predators?

Well, it is a strategy known only to the cicadas (a kind of sacrificial strategy). The sacrificial cicadas give up themselves in large numbers to be eaten by your pets (dog, cat, etc) and wild animals (raccoons, etc).

After the pets or wild animals feed on them, they become completely filled up and decide to lay down and take a nap. During this short nap, the next wave of cicadas make their move and climb up to trees without the predator knowing. Pretty sharp animals aren’t they!

 

Conclusion

What other amazing facts do you know about the cicada life cycle? Do well to drop them below in the comment section. Hope you enjoyed reading these 9 thrilling facts about cicadas? If you earned something new today, do not forget to share this with a friend!

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