Key Information
Cicadas
| Species | Over 3,000 |
| Diet | Herbivore |
| Lifespan | 2 to 17 years |
| Classification | Insecta > Hempitera > Auchenorrhyncha > Cicadomorpha > Cicadoidea |
| Conservation Stations | Varies |
| Habitat | Woodlands and Forests |
Learning Point
- Cicadas are intriguing characters of the insect world, spending up to 17 years chilling underground before emerging for a few weeks of total chaos. Once they emerge, the males crank up their built-in speakers to produce a buzzing chorus as loud as a rock concert, all to find a mate before their short adult lives end. Despite their glowing red eyes and the creepy “ghost shells” they leave on trees, these guys are harmless “gentle giants” that don’t bite or sting. Their strategy is a massive survival flex: by appearing in the trillions, they overwhelm predators with pure numbers, ensuring their weird, long-game cycle starts all over again.
Project
- Draw the life cycle of the cicada.
- Overview
- Emerging
Location
| Locations | Worldwide |
Fun Facts
- Male cicadas are the rock stars of the bug world. They use special drum-like organs in their bellies called tymbals to make a buzzing sound that can be as loud as a motorcycle or a lawnmower!
- Some cicadas spend 13 or 17 years living underground in the dark before they ever come out to see the sun. That’s longer than most kids have been alive!
- Cicadas have two big, bulging eyes on the sides of their heads, but they also have three tiny extra eyes right on top of their foreheads to help them spot light and shadows.
- When cicadas grow up, they crawl out of their old skin and leave it behind on tree trunks. These crunchy, brown “ghost shells” are called exuviae, and they look like little hollow statues of the bug.
- A cicada’s wings are covered in tiny, microscopic spikes. These spikes are so small that they can actually pop bacteria like tiny balloons, keeping the cicada’s wings clean and germ-free!
Past Lessons
| 196 | January 7, 2026 | (North America) |