The sound of summer - cicadas!

Now, if this isn't the sound of summer, I don't know what is: 

Now, let's have a little pop quiz. Don't worry, it's not for a grade.

1. What is making this sound? 

Is it: a.) a locust

        b.) a tree frog

        c.) a cicada

If you answered that cicadas are responsible for all of this racket, you'd be correct! If you answered that locusts are the culprit, you'd be wrong, but you certainly wouldn't be alone. I've noticed there is a lot of confusion about cicadas - people often seem to think that they are called locusts, which unfortunately is incorrect. 

Cicada

 

Locust

Locusts and cicadas are not even in the same order, so they really are not related at all. Cicadas are in the order Hemiptera - the "true bugs," which include water scorpions, water bugs, and shield bugs. Locusts are in the order Orthoptera, which include crickets and grasshoppers. They do look rather similar with their large wings and huge ocelli (what serves as their eyes), but they are not the same insect. 

Now that we've hammered out that distinction, let's see how the cicadas are making this ruckus. The cicada contracts a part of its abdomen (called the tymbals) to create and amplify its distinctive sound. To make the sound even louder, the abdomen of the male is mostly hollow, which amplifies the sound considerably. In fact, if, for some reason, you placed a cicada right next to your ear and it began to sing, it could cause permanent hearing damage! Their songs are used to find mates, and can differ between species. 

You've also probably seen cicada elytra (skins) hanging off of tree branches. Cicadas shed their exoskeletons as they become adults and are ready to mate, leaving their skin behind. They spend most of their lives as nymphs (juveniles) and live underground. Some cicadas can live quite a long time - up to 17 years!

Cicadas are harmless to humans, and are even considered a tasty snack in some parts of the world. Think you would try one?

Happy Friday, everyone!