Cicadas

Cicadas are "true insects" with six legs, two antennae, and two wings. There are over 190 varieties of cicadas in the U.S. and thousands more worldwide. Nymphs start out white and legless, eventually transforming into the adult form.  Cicadas are between about 1 inch and 2 inches long.  In Virginia, we have about 25 of those species. Some types of cicadas -periodicals- have bright red eyes. Others - annuals- have green eyes and use green camouflage to hide from predators.

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While they are often mistaken for locusts and grasshoppers, cicadas are more closely related to aphids and planthoppers, being in the Hemipterans classification.

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Cicadas are unusual in their life cycle. There are annual cicadas, which hatch annually as the name suggests. There are also "periodical" cicadas that hatch on a 13-year or 17-year cycle. These broods will live underground as nymphs, feeding on tree roots and hiding from predators, until they are ready to emerge.

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Cicadas will molt, leaving their exoskeleton behind.  Adult cicadas can fly and make significant noise.  The males will use organs on the sides of their abdomen to vibrate, amplifying the sound through their mostly hollow abdomen. 

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For even more information about cicadas, check out our blog post