What is Cicada?

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About Cicadas:

Cicadas are hemipteran insects known for their loud, complex and species-specific acoustic signals or songs.
The generic diversity of cicadas in India and Bangladesh ranks the highest in the world, followed by China.
A cicada will have the best chance of survival if it can emerge from the ground when its predators are lying dormant.
Habitat: Most cicadas are canopy dwellers and are found in natural forests with large trees.
Types: Scientists divide the over 3,000 cicada species into two groups: annual and periodical.
- Annual cicadas: They emerge from the ground at different times each summer.
- They’re usually dark with greenish markings.
- These insects avoid predators by camouflaging themselves in the trees and flying from hungry birds and moles.
- Periodical cicadas: Only seven species of cicadas are in the periodical cicadas.
- These bugs all emerge from the ground at the same time(Summer).
- These groups appear after a dormant period of either 13 or 17 years.
Ecological Significance: They prune mature trees, aerate the soil, and once they die, their bodies serve as an important source of nitrogen for growing trees.