Wildlife does not cease to amaze with its variety of sounds. Cicadas are known to many as the loudest “singers” among insects. Their amazing singing can be heard almost a mile away. Even the ancient Greeks appreciated the extraordinary vocals of night-time artists; references to this have been preserved in the oldest monument of literature, in the "Iliad" of Homer. These winged creatures are very unusual in nature and continue to arouse interest in their appearance.
What is cicada
It is a mistake to assume that cicada is a close relative of the grasshopper. They are completely different in appearance and according to the classification they belong to different orders, and if they have something in common, then this is the ability to make sounds. If we compare the words that characterize the grasshopper and cicada, then we can see that both of them refer to jumping insects. But at the same time, the cicada can also fly, but the grasshopper does not.
Cicadas live almost everywhere, except in areas with a cold climate. This is a fairly large winged insect, whose body length reaches 30-36 mm, and wings 40-50 mm. Three small eyes are located in the center on a broad head in a triangle, and on the sides are two outstanding complex eyes. The front transparent wings are larger than the hind ones, and the short legs are equipped with spikes. The proboscis is the organ of nutrition in cicadas. By its appearance, the insect resembles a large fly.
Due to camouflage coloring, cicadas can be seen only at close range. She does not allow to approach her, being very nimble.
The meaning of the word "cicada" in the explanatory dictionary
In different sources, the values ​​of cicadas are not much different from each other. There may be only the difference of small refinements and additions. But if we talk about professional sources supported by specialists, it’s in the dictionary edited by A. P. Evgenieva and in the explanatory dictionary the word “cicada” means a jumping insect with a characteristic chatter.
The understanding of the word "cicada" may also differ depending on the area. Somewhere it is a grasshopper announcing good weather, somewhere an insect pest of a bug group, someone has a stinging lionfish or a southern nocturnal insect.
Sweet-voiced insects
The word masters, referring to cicadas, speak of them as skillfully singing insects. For centuries, these creatures have inspired creative people and served them as muses. An ode was even written in their honor. Not everyone also knows that in the famous Krylov's fable “Dragonfly and ant” the word “dragonfly” is an incorrect translation, it refers to cicada.
There was a time when people believed that the cicada made such sounds from longing, comparing them to crying. In fact, only males emit a melodious chirp that can be heard. Nature gifted them with this ability to attract females during the mating season. A pair of plates located on the surface of the abdomen serves as a singing organ. They are called cymbals. When singing cicadas, cymbals move, their oscillation occurs up to 600 times per second.
Little centenarians
Compared to other living creatures that live on earth, nature has endowed insects with the shortest life span. However, among cicadas, its average duration is from 2 to 4 years. They lay their eggs under the bark of shrubs or trees. These insects, unlike others, do not pass the larval stage: a reduced resemblance of an adult hatch immediately from an egg. Biologists gave them a name - nymphs.
The hatched nymph falls to the ground and quickly burrows into her with her front paws. She can go to a depth of two meters, where she remains to while away her life, eating juice from the roots of plants. Her body is covered with a shell of chitin, which serves as a protection for the insect. During periodic molting, the growing cicada discards the old cramped shell and becomes covered with a new one.
A few years later, in the middle of summer, already an adult nymph makes her way to the surface of the earth. There she finds any vertical surface and, rising up on it, molts for the last time. All the internal fluid of her body rushes into the chest part, which, when enlarged, breaks the tight shell. The young cicada that has come out spread its wings. And it is here that the countdown of her life begins, lasting 5 weeks.
Among cicadas there are centenarians. There is one species living in North America that stands out from the crowd. Its life expectancy is 17 years, but it is so designed that you can hardly envy such a cicada. All this time, she sleeps underground, remaining motionless.
Varieties of cicadas
The variety of species of cicadas contains various information and often diverges. According to some sources, there are about 2500 species in total.
In Russia, the following varieties of cicadas were recorded:
- humpbacked cicadas, lover of vineyards;
- rose cicadas, known for its addiction to apple trees, roses, rose hips;
- white metallcafa, not indifferent to citrus plantings;
- green cicadas, inhabits everywhere;
- common cicadas, the most common species on the Black Sea coast.
Harmful dirty tricks
Despite all the advantages, magnificent “singers” harm homesteads and gardens. Of course, we are talking about when the population is measured in large numbers, not units. And stopping these pests is capable of timely processing of the site by chemical composition.
The method of feeding and propagating cicadas is such that the integument of cultivated plants and trees is damaged, leading to their death. The most affected vineyards.
Cicadas also greatly harm berries, reducing taste and preventing ripening. But it is more dangerous when bacterial and fungal infections get into the berry through a puncture of insects. In this case, it is almost impossible to save the infected berry. Especially when it comes to bacteriosis, the crop dies completely. And to the place it will be said that ants and wasps are attracted to the berry through the excrement of cicadas.
Curious Facts About Cicadas
In ancient Greece, cicadas were as pets. They were also considered a symbol of immortality. They were put in the mouth of a dead man, providing him with eternity.
It is interesting that the word "cicada" also meant a type of male hairstyle for special occasions, which was considered very fashionable among the ancient Greeks. Hair was laid in a complex bow over the forehead of a young man.
In China, it was also customary to consider cicadas a symbol of eternal life. And in dry form, it served as a charm from the nets of death.
An interesting fact is that once people sincerely believed that cicadas bite and their bites are dangerous to humans. But with the study of the oral apparatus of this insect, it was found that they had no teeth and sting.
Unlike the Greeks, the ancient Romans did not find the singing of cicadas divine and plugged their ears whenever they heard a characteristic chatter.
The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle loved to eat fried cicadas. By the way, the people of Africa and Asia still eat them today.