A Little Bit More
Cicadas are probably one of the most well-known insects in the world. Their large size and loud summer “song” makes them especially obvious to almost everyone. Many people call these insects “locust” but a locust is a kind of grasshopper, not closely related to cicadas. Although they may appear dangerous to the uninformed, they’re totally harmless and can be picked up an examined without care. The singing males do so to attract females for mating. Not long after adulthood, mating, and egg-laying, the adult cicadas life is over and they die.
Cicadas are large insects and provide a large amount of food for various animals. Birds often are seen chasing these insects and when caught, they often make a staccato kind of sound as they try to escape. Even humans eat cicadas and are reported to favor the females with their “meatier” bodies, over the males.
Although large, most people hear, rather than see, adult cicadas. However, the immature nymphs are regularly seen, or at least their outer skin, on tree trunks after they’ve emerged from the ground. Cicada nymphs (immature cicadas) spend years growing in the ground (some as long as 17 years!) where they feed on juices from trees and shrub roots. Once their internal clock tells them its time to emerge from the ground, they often do en-masse and may be found in incredible abundance.
Activities
Science & English – Tell the Story
Objectives: Write an essay about cicadas
Materials: Reference material
Cicadas are an extremely interesting group of insects. Since these insects are so common across North America, almost everyone has had some kind of contact with cicadas – whether sight or sound.
Have students do some research on cicadas and write an essay on their life history and maybe even how their presence has affected humans, in some way. This is an opportunity for students to locate accurate, current information on a subject from several sources and use it to write their own paper. They should be careful to be accurate but also make their paper interesting; not just a series of facts. They can use our “A Little Bit More” portion of the Electronic Naturalist as a reference but should find more/other information than is provided here
Key Concepts
Structures and Functions, Populations and Ecosystems, Life Cycles, Identification, Growth and Development, Behavior and Regulation
Questions
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