Facts about Cicadas by Aryan Doshi

 Facts about Cicadas

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/14-fun-facts-about-cicadas-180977361/ 

https://www.livescience.com/57814-cicada-facts.html 

https://www.treehugger.com/cicada-facts-5120497 

1. Cicadas have one of the longest lifespans of any insect lifespans. This is because a large amount of their life is 13 and 17-year cycles. 

2. They are notoriously known for their obnoxious buzzing. When this was measured, it recorded more decibels than a lawnmower. They can be heard from 1 mile away. 

3. There are about 3,000 species of cicadas and they come in all shapes and sizes. Their colors can be black, brown, or green, and have red, white, and blue eyes. 

4. Cicadas primarily live in the United States. However, they can be found on every continent besides Antarctica. They specifically stay on the East Coast. 

5. When cicadas are underground in their younger stages, there tends to be competition. They fight for food, territory but scientists do not know if they try to kill each other.  

6. Cicadas must live in swarms to survive. There are billions of cicadas in the world. If they were to live in smaller groups or alone they would easily be killed. 

7. Although cicadas come up every 13 or 17 years, they only come out when the temperature is exactly 64o F in the final year. Not one degree higher or lower. 

8. Scientists have no clue how cicadas tell time or why their hibernation intervals are set. Their leading theory is that they try to escape predators in their younger stages. However, how they tell time is significantly more complicated. Even with this, they tend to believe they use trees and their developments to tell time. This is very difficult to prove. 

9. Female cicadas lay 600 eggs in a few weeks. This causes the massive population of the species. 

10. Cicadas are widely eaten by many species of animals. This includes humans who roast, grill, and fry them. They are considered a delicacy.