I came upon this little living science lesson on my morning walk, although I will warn you, it is not for the squeamish. On the left you see the discarded shell of the cicada. It is an empty husk. Right next to it was the living insect which had just crawled out . He was frantically pedaling his legs like a bicyclist in an effort to right himself, so I flipped him over. The last panel shows how crumpled his wings are while he waits for them to dry and straighten. I don't know what the next stage of his life is or how long his life span will be, but I may do further research to satisfy my curiosity. In the classroom we call this "authentic leaning."
Great sequence, Allison! I've never seen a newly emerged cicada -- just its empty husk. Let's wish him good luck, happy singing, and a successful quest for a mate.
That is super cool! You are lucky to have seen that. I have seen "fresh ones" hanging on our stucco or a tree..letting wings "Set." I wonder if this one was deformed or not doing well? They usually would not have to be helped upright...
Very cool! I've never seen the process although I have photographed the old shell hanging on a bush last Spring. Right now they are singing up a storm outside my sliding glass door. I love that sound!
August 12th, 2014
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