Cassin's 13-year cicada
Cassin's 13-year cicada spends most of its long life hidden under the ground. Then, after about 13 years, it climbs out, becomes a grown-up and sings. The males can even sing and fly all together at the same time, like a giant buzzing choir.
How fast is it?
Fun facts
Its whole life from egg to old age usually takes about 13 years, but it can be anything from 9 to 17 years.
It looks exactly like a cousin that lives for 17 years. The only real difference is how long they take to grow up.
Tens of thousands of males can sing and fly in time together, which other periodical cicadas do not do.
Most asked questions about Cassin's 13-year cicada
?Why is it called a 13-year cicada?
Because it usually takes about 13 years to grow up before it comes out of the ground.
?Is Cassin's 13-year cicada dangerous?
No. It is very loud but completely harmless.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Magicicada tredecassini
- Group
- True bugs and cicadas
- Family
- Cicadidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Hemiptera > Cicadidae
- Lives on
- North America
Where the facts come from
- Magicicada tredecassini (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by David C. Marshall. CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.
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