What are all those noisy bugs? Cicadas explained for kids with printable coloring activity
What鈥檚 all the buzz about cicadas? You may have heard that these insects are coming to town.
While cicadas may seem noisy and annoying, they are a pretty rare event this year. Two families of cicadas (called 鈥渂roods鈥) are coming above ground at the same time. Experts think there will be trillions of bugs. That hasn鈥檛 happened since Thomas Jefferson was president in 1803 and it won鈥檛 happen again until 2245.聽
Here鈥檚 everything you need to know about what cicadas do above and below ground.
What is a cicada?
Cicadas are a type of insect that live all over the world. In fact, there are , according to National Geographic.
They have big eyes and clear wings. A group of cicadas buzzing can be as loud as a lawnmower 鈥 some scientists say they're among the loudest insects in the world.
Why are the cicadas coming out this year?
Some cicadas come out every year. These are called annual cicadas. Others, called periodical cicadas, stay in the ground for years at a time.
They also look different. If you see a black cicada with red eyes, red legs and red veins in their wings, it鈥檚 a periodical cicada. Annual cicadas are dark green or black and have green veins in their wings. They鈥檙e also usually , according to the North Carolina State University Extension.
We'll see periodical cicadas this year. They've been waiting for 13 and 17 years to come up above ground.
Scientists don鈥檛 know exactly why they wait so long to come up, but they think it might be because it鈥檚 when there are so many cicadas crawling up at once.
Cicada life cycle
Mother cicadas lay eggs in tree branches and shrubs. Once they hatch, the baby cicadas bury themselves underground and attach to tree roots.
When they are adults and it is warm outside, they crawl up out of the ground to find another cicada to have more babies with.
They don鈥檛 live very long once they come above ground 鈥 usually only a little more than a month.
Why do the cicadas molt their skin?
Cicadas have hard coverings called 鈥渆xoskeletons鈥 that protect their bodies.
Shedding this 鈥渟kin鈥 helps them grow. This is called 鈥渕辞濒迟颈苍驳.鈥 When they crawl out of the ground, cicadas climb up the trees to shed their baby skin one last time to make room for their new adult skin and wings.
When they first molt, the cicadas look white but then their new skin will start to harden and darken.聽
Why do cicadas make loud noises?
Male cicadas are the only ones that sing 鈥 they make loud noises to get the female cicadas' attention.
Cicadas use a special part of their bodies called a "tymbal" to make sound. They bend and click when male cicadas flex their muscles very quickly. Repeating this movement times a second creates their unique loud sound.
Are cicadas dangerous?
They may be annoying, but cicadas aren鈥檛 dangerous to you or your pets. They don鈥檛 sting or bite 鈥 they don鈥檛 even have mouths. They also won鈥檛 harm your plants or garden.
Dogs may want to snack on cicadas on the ground. One or two is perfectly fine 鈥 it鈥檚 normal for animals to want to eat bugs. They may get a tummy ache if they eat too many, though.
Can humans eat cicadas?
Some say they taste like or , according to Smithsonian Magazine and the New York Daily News. One reporter from the Indianapolis Star said they taste nutty and can be sweet, savory or spiced however you like.
Just don鈥檛 eat them if you have a seafood allergy 鈥 cicadas are .