Les Vieux Temps

Photo by: The Teche News

I do not remember ever seeing more cicadas than this year. Acadians refer to the large insect by its French name, cigale. For those who are not familiar with the cicada, it is a very large insect which sheds its “skin” or exoskeleton It is the dried clear “skin” which looks like a weird insect that amazes people.
Cicadas appear in cycles of two, five, 13 and 17 years. Female cicadas cut slits into the bark of tree twigs in which she lays several hundred eggs. When the eggs hatch, the newborn insects, called nymphs, drop to the ground. There they will burrow tunnels in which they live for most of their lives. Cicadas are among the longest living and largest insects known. This year, after been underground for most of their life, 13-year cicadas will appear in Louisiana – one of the reasons for increased sightings.
While underground cicada nymphs feed on root juice and have strong front legs for digging. In the final stage they construct a tunnel to the surface of the ground and emerge. Cicadas come out fully grown for one month to mate and restart their life cycle.
They produce a shrill mating chorus that is deafening. They don’t eat solid foods, and they die after mating and laying eggs. Only the male cicada makes the characteristic loud chirping sound.
Cicadas do not bite or sting, are not poisonous, do not transmit diseases, nor do they attack people. They are harmless. The slow flying, easily captured males struggle to fly away and make a loud buzzing sound.
Their unique life cycle, their weird and transparent shredded skin, their size and beauty all make the cicada one of the most interesting insects, especially to children.

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