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At around one and one-half inches long, they have eyes and wing veins that are reddish.

In April they burrow to about an inch beneath the soil surface where they stop and await the proper time to emerge. Then in May when soil temperatures are approximately 64 F, nymphs leave the ground after sunset and quickly crawl to a tree or shrub where they will shed their skin and molt into adults. This process takes about an hour, at which point their body is soft and white.

However, eventually their wings unfurl and their skin darkens as their exoskeleton completely hardens.

With only about a 3-4 week lifespan above ground, cicadas are actually clumsy fliers and are known to bounce off objects. Often mistakenly referred to as locusts, which are members of the grasshopper family, cicadas actually do not bite or chew. Instead they have sucking mouthparts to feed on plants for nutrition, and surprisingly eat very little as adults.

Within the first few days the mating process begins and the males begin to constantly ?EUR??,,????'?????<

A periodical cicada year is a time of feasting for a surprising array of creatures. Birds and fish feed ravenously on the adult stage of these insects. Grackles and crows voraciously dine on periodical cicadas. Fish will literally gorge themselves on adult cicadas when they are abundant in trees and shrubs along a stream. Photo courtesy of: www.hpjava.org.

After around six to ten weeks the eggs, called oviposition, hatch into ant-like insects that drop to the ground where they burrow down into the soil. There they will remain as nymphs, feeding on tree and shrub roots for the next seventeen years at a depth of 2 to 24 inches. The number of nymphal instars (growth phases) is still uncertain, although some studies indicate that there are five. According to one researcher, the first instar lasts about one year, the second and third about two years each, the fourth three years, and the fifth nine years.

Damage

While adults do not feed on leaves, they suck plant fluid from tender young twigs. The most noticeable damage done by periodical cicadas is from egg-laying. Twigs slit by the female?EUR??,,????'?????<

Fruit and nut orchards can suffer heavy pruning losses from high populations of these insects.

Susceptible Plants

Damage to woody plants occurs primarily when females split the bark on small diameter limbs and branches. Healthy and larger diameter trees and shrubs can easily heal the half inch to one inch slits; smaller ones often wilt and die.

Developing nymphs feed on plant roots underground, which can damage trees and shrubs by producing reduced plant growth.

Unlike grasshoppers that chew for nutrition, cicadas have sucking mouthparts and will not bite. Even though they suck on plants for nutrition, they feed very little as adults. Photo courtesy of: www.hpjava.org.

Management

Non-chemical: A periodical cicada year is a time of feasting for a surprising array of creatures. Birds, fish, grackles and crows feed ravenously on the adult stage of these insects. Fish will literally gorge themselves on adult cicadas when they are abundant in trees and shrubs along a stream.

Chemical: Deciduous shrubs, fruit, nut, and shade trees may be protected with registered formulations of insecticides. The first application should be made prior to egg laying; this is approximately 7-10 days after the male periodical cicadas start their singing. Additional applications may be necessary. Apply all control materials according to label directions. Always refer to individual insecticide labels for host plant clearance information.