A brood of periodical cicadas, noisy insects that breed underground for as long as 13-17 years are expected to emerge into some states of the US this year.

A stand-alone species being mentioned in the news for the first time may find their way into the prelims. Make special note here.

What are Cicadas?

• Cicadas are insects that spend most of their lives underground and emerge from the soil mainly to mate.
• Once out of the ground, their life span is fairly short, somewhere between two-four weeks.
• At present, there are about 15 active broods of these cicadas as some have gone extinct.
• The insects are found in America’s as well as New Zealand and Australia.
• The name 13 and 17 year refers to the number of years that cicada nymphs take to reach adulthood.
• It is not clear why their development period is so long, researchers suspect that it may be linked to avoiding predators above the soil.

How are the fed?

• During this time underground the nymphs feed on sap from plant roots.
• After this developmental period, the cicada nymphs construct a “cicada hut” and burrow their way out from the soil and climb onto any nearby tree or vegetation.

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