By: Kristel Usener
Member of the Big Country Master Gardeners
When I walk outside and hear the loud, intense sound of cicadas, it brings so many fond memories of summer. This month’s bug is the cicada. Cicadas are in the Animal Kingdom, Phylum Arthropoda, Class Insecta and the Order Hemiptera. The order Hemiptera is the true bug order. Almost all species of cicadas are annual except for the few species in North America that are periodical and emerge every 13 or 17 years.
If you have seen a cicada up close, they look to be from another planet. Cicadas have very prominent eyes that are wide apart, short antennae and membranous front wings. Adults are about 1-2 inches long and have a wingspan twice that length. Cicadas’ bodies are black, and wings are membranous with orange veins. Their large eyes are red brown.
The loud sound cicadas are known for, is the courting sounds of the adult males. The sound is produced by rapid buckling and unbuckling of drum-like tymbals. These tymbals lie near the abdomen.
Interestingly. Cicadas have a relatively short adult lifespan of less than two months. Once cicadas mate, females cut slits in the bark of a twig where she deposits her eggs. Both female and males die within a few weeks after emerging from soil. Cicadas live most of their lives as nymphs after hatching from eggs. Once hatched, the nymphs drop to the ground and burrow, which is where they have lived for many years. Most cicadas have a life cycle that lasts 2-5 years, but there are some with the 13- or 17-year cycles. These extended life cycles are thought to be a response to predators such as praying mantis and cicada killer wasps.
Cicadas may sound and look somewhat scary but are beneficial to the ecosystem. They serve as a good food source for birds and other predators. Also, can aerate lawns and improve water filtration into the ground. Cicadas also add nutrients to the soil as they decompose.
There is no reason to actively try to manage the cicada population in your yard. Cicadas do not bite or sting. Cicadas do not eat leaves, flowers, fruits or garden produce, so no precautions are needed to protect your investments. Cicadas consume a small amount of sap from trees to not be destructive and they will be gone soon. It may only be necessary to protect young trees from damage of female laying eggs and this can be done with mesh or netting.
If you have any questions, call the Taylor County Extension Office at325-672-6048 or email us at mgardeners@yahoo.com. We hope you visit bdmgtx.org for more information on all Big County Master Gardener events, like us on BCMGA Facebook, and check out training presentations on BCMGA YouTube. We are here to help you.
