Cicadas

Cicadas are the sound of summer in Australia.
There are more than 200 Australian species, most of which belong to the one large family, Cicadidae.
Here they spend most of their life underground as nymphs for around 6-7 years.
When the nymph reaches full size it digs its way to the surface and generally emerges about nightfall in late spring or early summer. It then climbs onto a tree trunk or other object and sheds its skin for the last time with the fully-winged adult leaving its old empty nymphal skin behind.

This occurred on our large gum tree (eucalypt) out front a few days ago.

The life of adult cicadas is very short, lasting only a few weeks. After mating, the adult female cicada lays its eggs which hatch into small wingless nymphs.They fall to the ground and burrow below the surface. Here they live on the sap from plant roots for a period which may last several years.
Cicadas are notorious singers. In fact they are the loudest insects in the world. The song is a mating call produced by the males only. 

Some large species such as the Greengrocer/Yellow Monday and the Double Drummer produce a noise intensity in excess of 120 dB at close range which approaches the pain threshold of the human ear.
Many species of cicada sing during the heat of the day.

 

 

 

 

As kids we used to collect them and keep them as pets for their short lives.

Fierce trading went on to see who could amass the most diverse collection.
Many of their common names were initially given to them by children. As a result cicadas probably have the most colourful common names in the insect world. Some of these include: Black Prince, Double Drummer, Floury Baker, and the Green Grocer or Yellow Monday.
Australian journalist Peter FitzSimons wrote in the memoir of his childhood, “the black prince was valued at three cherrynoses, four floury bakers, five yellow mondays or a thousand green grocers.”