The Cicadas !!!!!

Every 17 years in the mid-Atlantic region, swarms of bugs come crawling out of the ground.  In the summer of 2004, it was time.  I took some pictures of the little creatures who crawl out of the ground over the course of a few days.  They look like crabs before they break out of their shell.  They then make a loud hissing noise for a few weeks, mate, lay eggs, and die.  The eggs hatch about a month later and the nymphs burrow into the ground to suck on tree roots for 17 years.  Those nymphs will crawl out of the ground in 2021.  What a life!

Here is a collection of some pictures I took of them.  Cute little fellas, aren't they?

Click on a picture to make it larger.

 

This is the empty shell of a cicada	This is a live cicada before breaking out of the shell	Here is a cicada that has just come out of its shell.  Notice the pale color.	After a few hours, it darkens
Cicada on a tree	Cicada walking up a tree leaving its shell behind.	A mixture of dead adult cicadas and empty shells.	Empty cicada shells

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Email:    swissing@nvcc.edu

 last revised:  01/06/2009
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