🪲 Meet the Cicada!
Updated: Jul 8
This Week's Bug of the Week
July 6th–July 12th
Have you ever been outside on a hot summer day and heard a loud buzzing sound coming from the trees? That's probably a cicada! You may hear them long before you see them. These amazing insects spend most of their lives underground before making a grand entrance each summer. Let's learn four fun facts about cicadas.
Fact 1: Cicadas Spend Years Underground
Most of a cicada's life is spent underground as a young insect called a nymph. While underground, they feed on tree roots and slowly grow. When they're ready, they climb out of the ground, crawl up a tree, and shed their old exoskeleton before becoming adults.
Fact 2: Only Male Cicadas Sing
That loud buzzing sound you hear isn't all the cicadas—it's the male cicadas singing to attract females. They don't use their mouths to make noise. Instead, they have special structures on their bodies called tymbals that vibrate to create their famous summer song.
Fact 3: Cicadas Don't Bite or Sting People
Even though they're large and noisy, cicadas are harmless to people. They don't bite, sting, or spread diseases. They're more interested in singing, finding a mate, and spending time in the trees than bothering humans.
Fact 4: Cicadas Leave Behind Their Old Shells
One of the easiest ways to find a cicada is by looking for its empty shell. After climbing onto a tree or fence, the cicada sheds its old exoskeleton, leaving behind a perfectly shaped shell. These shells are often found attached to tree trunks, branches, and fences during the summer.
🎥 Watch and Learn
As you watch a video about cicadas, think about these questions:
What sound did the cicada make?
Where did you see the cicada?
Did you find a cicada or just its shell?
What colors did you notice?
Why do you think cicadas spend so much time underground?
🌳 Cicada Nature Challenge
This week, become a Cicada Detective!
Visit a local park, nature trail, or your own backyard.
Can you:
👂 Hear a cicada singing?
🌳 Find an empty cicada shell on a tree?
🔍 Observe a cicada without touching it?
📝 Record your observations in your nature journal?
Remember: Look, listen, and observe—but leave wildlife where you found it.
🎨 Drawing Prompt
Draw a cicada sitting on the trunk of a tree.
Include:
Transparent wings
Six legs
Two large eyes
A tree branch or tree trunk
An empty cicada shell nearby
For an extra challenge, draw what you think the cicada looked like when it was a nymph living underground.
🤔 Did You Know?
The empty shell left behind by a cicada is called an exoskeleton. The new adult cicada slowly crawls out, spreads its wings, and waits for them to dry before taking its very first flight. If you find one of these shells, it means a cicada recently transformed nearby!
Happy bug hunting! 🐞🌳
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