Cicada

The cicada is a big bug.

It has wide eyes and short feelers. Many live in trees. They drink watery juice from plants.

Male bugs make a loud song. They use drum-like parts on their bellies to sing. This sound can be very strong.

Some bugs come out every year. Other bugs wait a long time. They may stay underground for 13 or 17 years. Then they all come out at once.

Their wings help them stay clean. Rain rolls off the wings. This washes away dirt.

Cicadas live all around the world. They are amazing singers.

Cicadas are large insects found all over the world.

Most live in warm places. They spend much of their life underground as nymphs. Some species are annual cicadas. This means they come out every year. Other species are periodical cicadas. These insects stay underground for 13 or 17 years. Then they all emerge at once. This helps them stay safe from predators.

Male cicadas are famous for their loud songs. They make sound using tymbals. These are drum-like parts on their bellies. Muscles buckle and unbuckle these parts to make noise.

Many cicadas live in trees. They use a long mouthpart called a rostrum to drink sap.

Cicada wings have a special way to stay clean. They are covered in tiny, waxy spikes. These spikes make the wings water-repellent. Rain rolls off the wings and carries dirt away. These spikes can even kill bacteria.

Some desert cicadas use water to stay cool. They drink extra sap and let water out through their bodies. This works like sweating to lower their heat.

Cicadas are fascinating insects found in almost every part of the world.

They belong to a large group called Cicadoidea. Most cicadas are annual species, which means they appear every year. However, some North American species are periodical cicadas. These belong to the genus Magicicada. They spend most of their lives underground as nymphs. Then, they emerge all at once every 13 or 17 years. This massive emergence helps them stay safe from predators. This timing makes them a less reliable meal for hungry animals.

Many cicadas have very special ways of staying healthy and clean. Their wings are covered in tiny, waxy cones called nanoscale spikes.

These spikes make the wings superhydrophobic, which means they repel water. When rain hits the wings, the water rolls off and carries dirt away. These tiny spikes can even tear apart the membranes of bacteria. This makes the wing surface one of the first known materials to kill bacteria. Some desert cicadas, like the Diceroprocta apache, even use water to stay cool. They drink extra sap and release water through their bodies to lower their heat.

One of the most famous things about cicadas is their loud song.

Most of this sound comes from the males. They use special organs called tymbals located on their abdomens. These are drum-like structures made of a material called resilin. To make noise, muscles buckle the tymbals inward. When the muscles relax, the tymbals unbuckle rapidly. This quick movement creates the loud, rhythmic songs we hear. The male's abdomen is often hollow to help the sound resonate.

Cicadas have been part of human history for a very long time.

They appear in the ancient writings of Homer. They are also seen in art from the Chinese Shang dynasty. In many cultures, they are symbols of immortality or carefree living. People have even eaten cicadas in places like China, Mexico, and Malaysia. Fossil evidence shows that early relatives of cicadas appeared in the Upper Permian period.

Some very old fossils from the Jurassic period were even mistaken for butterflies.

There is a huge variety of species within the cicada family.

The family Cicadidae has more than 3,000 different species. The largest is the Malaysian emperor cicada, which has a huge wingspan. Most cicadas live in trees and eat watery sap from xylem tissue. They use a long, sharp mouthpart called a rostrum to drink. In Australia, you can find many different types with funny names. Some are called the "black prince" or the "whisky drinker." They live in many places, from snowy mountains to large cities like Sydney.

Cicadas are a diverse superfamily of insects known as Cicadoidea. They belong to the order Hemiptera, which contains the "true bugs."

Most cicadas are found in temperate to tropical climates across the globe. They are famous for their loud songs and unique life cycles. These insects play important roles in their ecosystems and human culture. They have appeared in ancient literature and art for thousands of years.

Most cicadas follow an annual life cycle. This means different members of the species emerge every year. However, the North American genus Magicicada follows a different pattern. These are known as periodical cicadas. They spend most of their lives underground as nymphs.

They emerge all at once in massive groups every 13 or 17 years. This synchronized emergence may protect them from predators. By appearing in such huge numbers, they overwhelm predators with food. This makes the cicadas a less reliable prey source for hungry animals.

An adult cicada, or imago, has several distinct physical features. They have large compound eyes set wide apart on the sides of the head.

Between these eyes, they have three small simple eyes called ocelli. Their antennae are short and protrude near the eyes. To eat, they use a long, sharp mouthpart called a rostrum. They insert this into plants to drink watery sap from xylem tissue. The postclypeus, a nose-like structure on the head, contains muscles to pump this liquid. Their wings are membranous and may be clear or pigmented.

The loud songs of male cicadas are produced by specialized organs. These organs are called tymbals. Tymbals are drum-like membranes located on the sides of the abdomen. They are made of a flexible material called resilin. To create sound, muscles rapidly buckle the tymbals inward. When the muscles relax, the tymbals unbuckle quickly. This rapid buckling and unbuckling creates the characteristic rhythmic song. In many males, the abdomen is hollow to act as a resonating chamber.

Cicadas have developed remarkable ways to stay clean and cool. Their wings are covered in nanoscale-sized waxy spikes.

This makes them superhydrophobic, meaning they repel water. Rain rolls off the wings and carries away dirt. These tiny spikes can also tear apart the membranes of bacteria. This makes the wing surface one of the first known biomaterials that can kill bacteria. Some desert species, like the Diceroprocta apache, use evaporative cooling to stay healthy. When they get too hot, they drink extra sap and release water through pores. This process can reduce their body temperature by about 5 °C.

The history of these insects stretches back millions of years. Fossil evidence shows that Cicadomorpha first appeared in the Late Triassic. During the Jurassic period, there were "giant cicadas" called Palaeontinidae. These were actually only distantly related to modern cicadas. One fossil wing from England was even mistaken for a butterfly in 1873. The family Cicadidae has been around since the Cenozoic era. The oldest clearly identified modern member is Davispia bearcreekensis from the Paleocene. This species lived approximately 56 to 59 million years ago.

There is incredible diversity within the superfamily Cicadoidea. It is divided into two main families: Tettigarctidae and Cicadidae.

The Tettigarctidae family has only two known species, found in Australia and Tasmania. The Cicadidae family is much larger, with more than 3,000 described species. They live on every continent except Antarctica. The largest known species is the Malaysian emperor cicada, Megapomponia imperatoria. It can have a wingspan of about 13 centimeters. Many species are endemic, meaning they are only found in one specific region. This makes them very important for studying how life spreads across islands.

Humans have long been fascinated by these insects. Cicadas are mentioned in Homer's Iliad and ancient Chinese art. In some cultures, they are symbols of immortality or carefree living. People in many parts of the world also eat them. This includes regions in China, Mexico, Malaysia, and central Africa. From ancient myths to modern biological studies, the cicada remains a subject of great wonder.