Is this a cicada?
Posted by Dimitar Gospodinov on July 4, 2007
Q: Hello,
Today I saw this insect in my back yeard. Looks like a cicada, but I am not sure if it is.
Dimitar
Habitat: suburban/yard
State: Virginia
Habitat: suburban/yard
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A: You're correct, it's a cicada. But it's not the animal itself, it's only the nymphal exoskeleton or outer covering. Cicadas spend several years growing underground as nymphs and then when fully developed, crawl out of the ground, often onto a tree trunk and crawl out of their shell as an adult. You have one of these shells in the photo. Cicadas leave the ground pretty much together (in some years they're extremely abundant) and then mate, lay eggs, and die. Thanks for sharing.
John Wiessinger ( July 4, 2007)
Filed under: Insects