Just when you thought it was safe to go outside.. You may be on your bicycle going for a ride or hiding under a foot bridge for shelter under the rain when you spot one...you move in for a closer look. Come on its okay, you're just curious! What is it? you wonder...should I get closer? It's a Cicada. They are benign to humans, so don't worry! What that really means is they don't bite or sting, although they might mistake your arm for a tree limb! They are the longest living insects in the world! With some species living up to 17 years before venturing out from underground in large numbers! They spend years living on tree sap below the ground. Cicadas are very noisy and somewhat like a cricket, they sing to attract a mate. The male Cicada's song sounds somewhat like a 'clicking' sound which resonates from a hollow base of his abdomen. The contractions of his stomach muscles will repeat this clicking and once he's won the heart of a female cicada, she makes slits in the bark of a twig, where she puts her eggs. Watch this little movie from my favorite story teller and photographer, David Attenborough who will show you the life cycle of the Cicada.
Click here to see The Amazing little Cicada!!
