The Periodical Cicada, "the 17-year Locust"

"The Periodical Cicada, 'the 17-year Locust'" by the United States Department of Agriculture, is a scientific explanation of the periodical cicada's one-of-a-kind life. It shows their repeating 17-year and 13-year cycles, as well as talking about how people see them and what wrong ideas they have about them. The publication explains how the cicada becomes an adult, starting with its home under the ground where it spends more than ten years as a nymph and then comes out in large numbers to mate and lay eggs. What emerges is the awesome change from nymph to adult, along with the unmistakable mating songs of the cicadas that flood the spring. It also talks about common myths and explains what cicadas do in nature, and that they don't really hurt plants. Including useful details on how to handle damage to young trees caused by cicadas and the natural predators of cicadas, this work is a great resource for understanding these captivating insects.