Do you know what molting is?Have you ever seen a cicada shedding its skin? Molting is the process of growing a new exoskeleton.Cicadas go through this process several times during their lives. Read on to learn more information about the fascinating cicada nymph and how many times it molts its outer body before becoming an adult!The Cicada Molting ProcessThe life cycle of a cicada nymph is fascinating. These creatures spend most of their lives underground, emerging only for a brief period to mate and lay eggs.After the eggs hatch, the nymphs fall back to the ground and burrow into the soil, where they will spend the next few years feeding on plant roots. When they are ready to emerge, they climb up trees or other structures and molt one last time, becoming adults. Adults live for just a few weeks before dying, but they make an incredible amount of noise in that short time! Cicadas are truly unique creatures.Cicadas undergo an incomplete metamorphosis, meaning that they don’t have a pupal stage. Instead, they molt their skin four to five times before reaching adulthood. Each time they molt, they shed their old exoskeleton and grow a new one. Cicada nymphs also grow bigger with each molt.The first few molts occur underground, and the final molt happens above ground. After the last molt, the cicada is fully grown and ready to fly and mate.The entire process from egg to adult takes about two to five years, depending on the species of cicada. Once the cicada is an adult, it only lives for about four to six weeks before dying.There are two main types of cicadas known as the annual cicada and the periodic cicada. Annual cicadas live in every state east of the Rocky Mountains. They typically have a life cycle of two to five years, spending most of their lives underground as nymphs before emerging as adults for just a few weeks each year.On the other hand, periodical cicadas only live in parts of the eastern United States of America and emerge once every 13 or 17 years. These longer life cycles are because periodic cicadas spend almost their entire lives underground as nymphs before emerging as adults for just a few weeks every 13 or 17 years.So what’s the difference between these two types of cicadas? For one, annual cicadas are much more common than periodic cicadas. You’re also likely to see them in your backyard or out in the woods. And while both types of cicadas make that signature ‘buzzing’ sound, annual cicadas are louder because they have larger bodies.It’s very easy to differentiate between both these cicada types. Adult annual cicadas measure around 1-1.5 in (2.5-3.8 cm) in adulthood. They have long brown or dark green bodies and are covered with black and white markings.Periodical cicadas are slightly smaller than annual cicadas. They have black bodies and orange veins in their wings, Their most distinguishable feature is their large, reddish-brown eyes.Cicadas primarily live in trees and shrubs but can also be found in grassy areas. The nymphs (immature cicadas) live underground until they are ready to emerge as adults. When it is time to mate, the males will climb up high and sing to find females. After mating, the female will lay her eggs on tree branches. The nymphs will hatch and fall to the ground, where they will get burrow into the soil and begin the cycle again!The Cicada Eclosing ProcessEclosing is the process of an insect shedding its exoskeleton to grow. This process usually happens during the molting stage, where the old exoskeleton splits open at a weak point, and the insect pulls itself out.The new exoskeleton is soft and needs time to harden, during which the insect is vulnerable to predators. Once the new exoskeleton has hardened, the insect’s body has increased in size, and it can begin the cycle anew.Eclosing allows insects to grow throughout their lives instead of humans, who stop growing once they reach adulthood. This growth enables insects to keep up with changes in their environment, such as temperature or food availability. Additionally, eclosing gives insects a chance to repair any damage that has been done to their exoskeletons, such as from predation or disease.While eclosing may seem like a simple process, it is quite delicate and can be easily disrupted. If an insect molts too early or too late, it may not have enough time to grow properly or heal any damage before its successive molt. Additionally, if an insect does not shed its entire exoskeleton, it may be unable to expand correctly and could end up trapped inside its old dead shell.Eclosing is essential for insects to thrive and survive in the ever-changing world around them. They can grow and adapt to their surroundings by shedding their old exoskeletons, ensuring their continued survival.As the cicada nymphs mature, they begin to climb up trees and other vegetation in search of a place to shed their skin for the final time. The enclosing process can take anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours. Once the nymph has molted for the last time, it will be a fully-grown adult cicada, ready to mate and continue the cycle anew.Cicadas go through an amazing transformation during their lifetime, thanks to that final molt into adulthood. So next time you see one of these creatures shedding its skin, take a moment to appreciate the fascinating process that’s taking place right before your eyes.Periodical Cicada Nymphs Emerging At NightAs the sun sets, the periodical cicada nymphs begin to stir. Slowly at first, they emerge from the ground where they live and feed on tree roots for 17 years. As night falls, they climb up vertical trees and shrubs to molt one last time before becoming adults. Once they shed their exoskeletons, the newly emerged cicadas mate and lay eggs. Then their life cycle starts all over again.For many people, cicadas are a nuisance; they are loud and can damage trees when they lay their eggs or eat nutrients from the tree roots. But for others, these insects are a reminder of the natural world’s cycles of birth and death. No matter your opinion of them, periodical cicadas are an amazing phenomenon worth observing.Key Points About CicadasAdult cicadas have large red eyes and a black dorsal thorax. Their wings present a fascinating aspect of their bodies.The wing color is transparent and allows us to see its veins. These veins are in an unusual color, orange! Next comes the abdomen. The underside of the abdomen may be in a variety of color combinations, being black, orange, or both! This color and the size of the cicada differ from the species of cicadas in question. The size of adults ranges from 0.9-1.3 in (2.2-3.3 cm). Additionally, adult females are known to be slightly larger than male adults.Suppose you wonder if cicadas bite or sting; you may be relieved to know that they do not do either. Like other true bugs, to eat their food, the cicadas use parts of their largemouth to pierce plants and then suck the sap. Besides eating food, cicadas also use their mouthparts underground to get necessary water and minerals from roots, including other nutrients.As mentioned before, the cicadas’ nymphs come out of the ground to reproduce. This is a very interesting process. The males that emerge produce a very distinct sound using their tymbals, which is known as the mating sound of cicadas. These singing males of the same Magicicada species are known to form clusters. These groups are called choruses, which attract females to reproduce. The males singing these choruses may move from tree to tree in the hope of attracting females. Mating takes place in chorus trees.
Do you know what molting is?
