Seventeen-Year Cicadas

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1. There are more than 2,000 species of the family Cicadidae, and cicadas are represented in every continent of the world except Antarctica. Cicadas with a seventeen-year life cycle are a little rarer. Where can these species of Magicicada be found? Eastern North America Southeast Asia Southern Africa Southern Mexico

2. Apart from their longer lifespan, do seventeen-year cicadas behave differently from annual cicadas? No. Yes. They move more slowly and are easier to catch. Yes. They "sing," whereas annual cicadas do not. Yes. They choose a different type of site in which to lay their eggs.

3. In the insect world, seventeen years is an extraordinarily long lifespan. Where do cicadas spend the majority of their lives? Burrowed inside tree trunks Underground In low shrubbery and undergrowth Atop high trees

4. Near the end of their lifespans -- just before their final molt -- periodical cicadas emerge, en masse, nearly simultaneously. Millions of insects appear over the course of a few days and dominate the outdoors until their disappearance several weeks later; their descendants will emerge seventeen years later. What is the name given to a synchronized cicada population? Brood Litter Generation Chorus

5. In the final step before a cicada becomes an adult, it must molt, leaving a golden-brown exoskeleton behind. What color is a newly-molted cicada? White Red with black polka dots Black Pale green

6. There is only one thing on the minds of newly minted adult cicadas: the opposite sex. Male cicadas make loud chirping noises to attract the ladies; in fact, when a chorus of male cicadas is chirping together, the noise has been measured at 100 decibels! How do male cicadas chirp? By clicking tongue against beak By rubbing two ridged membranes (tymbals) together By flicking wings against a tree branch By vibrating granules in the abdomen

7. When two cicadas have successfully paired off, the male dies happy (or at least, we assume so) and the female sticks around long enough to lay up to 600 eggs. Where does she deposit these future cicadas? On the underside of dead leaves In living twigs In small underground nests Inside fruits and berries

8. In the fullness of time, the cicada eggs hatch. What is the first thing that the newborn nymphs do after emerging? They burrow deep into the heart of a tree. They drop to the ground and burrow below the surface. They roam the ground, searching for decaying leaves to eat. They fly from flower to flower, collecting food.

9. A given population of cicadas will become adults at the same time -- and when a large population comes of age, they are everywhere! Are cicadas dangerous to humans? Yes: they bite painfully Yes: their bite is lethal Yes: they sting No

10. Three species of the genus Magicicada have seventeen-year life cycles; the other four species have life cycles that last thirteen years. What is the strongest theory as to why Magicicadas evolved to live so long? New adult cicadas are vulnerable. Since they appear at such long intervals, climate and environmental hazards will likely affect only one generation. New adult cicadas are vulnerable. Since they appear at intervals that are a prime number of years, predators with shorter lifespans can't "synch up." The cicada life cycle damages the trees it involves. The long intervals between egg-laying events allows the trees time to recover. With such a long lifespan, each cicada can reproduce multiple times, increasing the genetic diversity of the brood.