Cicada

Today, we will betalking about the cicada, a superfamily of insects that are in the orderHemiptera, more commonly known as the true bugs. Compared to otherbugs, cicadas are relatively large and bulky insects. They have small antennae,which are divided into three to six segments, and have bristles at the tip ofthem, known as seta. Cicadas have a mouthpiece called a rostrum, which can suckup liquids for nutrients. They have compound eyes that are set wide apart onthe sides of their head, but also three ocelli, or simple eyes, that make atriangle between their two compound eyes. These three ocelli can be used totell cicadas apart from other insects that are related to them. Cicadas havetwo wings, which can be transparent, cloudy, or pigmented. The fore wings aresuperhydrophobic, meaning they repel water very well. This is because of waxycones that cover the surface of the wing. Water and rain will roll across thesurface of the wing. Perhaps the mostwell-known aspect of cicadas is the song that male cicadas will sing to attracta mate. The sound is produced by a structure called the tymbal, which rests oneach side of the abdomen. Muscle tension and relaxation can produce sounds fromthe tymbal. Others make sounds using stridulation, or by rubbing together bodyparts to make sounds, similar to a cricket. Some cicadas have cavities in theirbody that will resonate the sound they create, making it louder. Both males andfemales have tympana which can be used to detect sound, like an ear. Duringcalling, males will disable their tympana to prevent hearing damage. After a female hasmated, she will cut a slit into a twig, and lay her eggs in there. When theeggs hatch, the babies, known as nymphs, will drop and bury into the ground.They spend most of their lives underground, living anywhere from 2 to 5 yearsunderground. But some species, such as the North American genusMagicicada,has broods that go through 13 to 17 year life cycles. For wild suzhou,I’m Ciana, thanks for listening and see you next time.