Why Do Cicadas Sing? The Secret Behind Nature’s Loudest Insects

Mysteries of Cicadas: Their Life, Sounds, and Role in the Ecosystem

Leo3Jin
3 min readMay 13, 2024
Photo by Jeffrey Hamilton on Unsplash

My backyard is full of cicadas this year, and I caught a lot. I plan to deep-fry them to eat. If you are doubt about whether they are edible, please see how FDA said:

Cicadas are more than just background noise on a hot summer day; they are one of the most interesting insects, with some species appearing only once every 17 years.

What Are Cicadas?

Cicadas are insects belonging to the order Hemiptera, suborder Auchenorrhyncha. Known for their stout bodies, broad heads, clear wings, and large compound eyes, there are about 3,000 cicada species. The most fascinating aspect of their existence is perhaps their life cycle, categorized into two main types: annual and periodical cicadas.

Life Cycle: Annual vs. Periodical

Photo by Ian Hutchinson on Unsplash

Annual cicadas are often misleadingly named as they are seen every year. Actually, they have life cycles that can last 2–5 years. However, due to overlapping generations, some are always…

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