Hi guys! I have this idea for a new series on my blog. What I want to do is take you all along with us as we learn about the different things we have living in our backyard. Learning new obscure facts is fun, right? Each week (or whatever frequency feels right) I am taking a deep dive into something that we have recently seen in our backyard. This week it’s fun facts about cicadas!
One of the things I love about our house is that it feels a little hidden. We have a pretty big yard, and recently bought the property next to us (more on that later), which gives us even more space to explore! When I mention on social media seeing foxes, groundhogs, and deer people automatically think we live out in the country, but we don’t! We live well within the city limits. #cityslicker?
What really got me thinking about this new series was a post I did last year on the red fox (here). Every late spring/early summer we have at least 1 fox who comes around to have her babies. We love the fox! It’s an unspoken rule in our house that anytime someone sees the fox they yell “Fox News! Fox News!” and we all come running. I created the post about the red fox because every time I would share about our fox friend on my social media I would get comments about how my kids and pets are in danger. Neither my pets nor my kids are in danger, trust me! People just didn’t know. I mean, foxes are always the bad guy in every children’s story, right? Well, I wanted to speak on behalf of the fox and set the record straight.
Fun Facts About Cicadas
I think it will be fun to learn a few new things about the world around us. This week we are taking a closer look at cicadas.
I don’t know about where you live, but we have so many cicadas around here. And honestly, what do we really know about them? We know that they shed their skin and leave cool shells all around and that they make a loud noise in the summer – that’s pretty much it!
But, wait! There is more! I have 10 fun facts about cicadas that I bet you didn’t know!
1. Cicadas Aren't Locusts
Not sure if this qualifies as a fun fact, but cicadas are not locusts. They are completely different insects. A locust is a type of grasshopper, which is part of the Orthoptera family. Cicadas are in the Hemipteran family with aphids, assassin bugs, and bed bugs.
2. Longest Living Insects
Periodical cicadas can live up to 17 years!!! Wild, right?
There are 2 types of cicadas, annual and periodical. Both cicadas live underground for the majority of their lives as nymphs.
Once they emerge from the ground they both shed their skin and live 4-6 weeks above ground before dying.
3. Thousands of Species Exist
There are nearly 3,400 different species of cicada in the world.
4. Cicada Wings Are Waterproof & Antiobiotic
It has been observed that some cicadas have wings that are naturally antibiotic. Cicada wings have lots of tiny spikes and a chemical coating that ruptures the cell wall of bacteria. Pretty cool!
Not only do those small spikes rupture bacteria, but they also help their wings repel water.
5. Cicadas Sing
Cicadas sing species-specific songs. As a form of mating call, male cicadas are usually the ones making all the racket. When a female is ready for a male to approach her, she will flick her wings at a very specific time during the call.
6. Swarm for Survival
Cicadas usually all emerge at the same time, completely covering trees trunks. This is actually a survival strategy. Appearing at such high volumes actually increases the chances of survival because predators can only eat so many.
7. Females Lay up to 600 Eggs
During their short 4-6 weeks above ground, adult female cicadas can lay up to 600 eggs!
8. Cicadas Shed Their Skin
Cicadas shed their exoskeletons, which is called molting. Cicadas emerge from the ground as nymphs when the soil reaches 64 degrees. When their adult bodies and wings are developed they will molt their nymph skin to expose their new body.
9. Loud as Chainsaws
Male cicadas are one of the loudest backyard bugs. It’s truly remarkable how something so small can produce a sound so loud! They make noise by vibrating the tymbals located on their abdomen.
Male cicadas synchronize their calls, known as congregational songs, which is what most of us think of as the sound of summer. Their songs have been known to reach 100 decibels, which is like standing 3 feet from a chainsaw.
10. Cicadas Are Nice
Cicadas do not bite or sting. They pose no threat (except maybe to your ears – kidding). All they want to do is molt, mate, lay eggs, and find a nice place to die.
More Fun Cicada Facts
I tried to link where I found most of my fun facts about cicadas, but in case you want to do a little more cicada research, check these websites out!
More cicada facts here:
Treehugger
Smithsonian Magazine
Wildlife Informer
