A male cicada with an actual wingspan of 6.2 cm and a body length from eyes to bottom of 2.1 cm.
Periodical cicadas spend over a decade buried beneath the soil, feeding on xylem. And then one spring, they emerge, shed, swarm, sing, mate and die in a few short weeks.
30 billion
Number of cicadas that will emerge with one order of business: mating. Their odds are good, but birds will feast on them.
400
Number of eggs female cicadas can lay. Offspring fall from the trees and burrow into the ground for 13 to 17 years. They emerge when the soil is 64°F (18°C). The reason behind their cycles is still unknown.
Actual wingspan is 6.2 cm
Body length from...
