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Cicadas
are familiar to almost everybody and are best known for their loud
singing which is common during hot summer days and evenings. The
shell left by the nymphs after they emerge as adults are also well
known and can often be seen on tree trunks, grasses and other vertical
objects.
Female
cicadas lay their eggs on branches and when the nymphs hatch they
drop to the ground and burrow through the soil to reach the roots.
Here they begin to feed on sap and may remain underground for several
years. The nymphs resemble adult cicadas but lack wings. When it
is fully grown the nymph makes its way to the surface where it climbs
a vertical object usually the trunk of the tree it has been feeding
on. It fastens its claws into the bark and sheds its outer skin
to emerge as a fully winged adult.
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Cystosoma
species (bladder cicadas)
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For
more cicada species visit the Australian
Insect Common
Names
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