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Okay, let’s take a little mind trip: first, pretend that you are an insect. Your mother in this scenario is also an insect. She is using her ovipositors to saw open the bark of a twig. Once she has done that, she lays the eggs that she is carrying (in this case you too) into the confine of the twig’s split wood. There you go, along with at least a dozen of your brothers and sisters into the place that will shelter you until you are mature enough for the next stage in your cicada development.

In about 6 or 7 weeks, you find that and your siblings have matured into nymphs. Now you are all ready to drop into the earth for further development. You burrow down to the roots of the tree where you will reside for a long time.

Depending upon which type of cicada you might happen to be in this scenario, you may remain under the earth for 2 years. But, then again, you may remain for 13 or even 17 years. Meanwhile, you feed on the roots of the tree that your mommy cicada chose so many moons ago.

Then, you begin to feel it…an urge deep inside of your insect body, to rise to the surface once more. Slowly, ever so slowly, you creep through the tightly packed soil. You continue to dig until you finally see the bright light of the spring morning. Then you cling to the tree for dear life, because your insect self has undergone some intense changes.

While clinging to the tree, you slowly molt, and finally shed your skin to expose long, transparent wings, which fold gently over your back. You shake these wings, thinking that they must be good for something. Then you see your sister shake those wings so quickly that she lifts off of the tree. Oh wow, you think, that is cooool. Giving it a vigorous try, you too find that you can fly.

Depending on your cicada breed and your gender, you might find that you have another talent. This talent might be despised by some non-cicada types, who are only jealous, you realize. Jealous of your amazing ability to sing so shrilly and loud that a canopy of cicada sound covers the trees when you and your siblings sing, sing, sing!

After weeks of singing and flying and loving life in the trees, you find your perfect mate, and the cycle starts all over again. Your call has been answered, and you give your life to the summer’s end, to the cycle that is life as a cicada.