These insects have a “missing” stage in their lifecycle, and do not go through a pupal stage. The mating season of the cicadas is spring: following mating, the female lays eggs on plants, and the nymphs that hatch from them burrow in the ground at a depth of two or more meters, and suck xylem sap from plant roots. Of these, almost 300 species can be found in Israel. There are more than 1300 known species of cicadas, all belonging to the suborder Auchenorrhyncha. The cicadas look like a large fly – their size can reach up to five centimeters – but they belong to the Hemiptera order (true bugs), which also includes fleas and aphids. The cicada is a very common insect, known mostly for its characteristic chirping that can be heard during the spring and summer in open fields, which sounds a bit like sawing. However, in 2017, entomologists (insect researchers) from the US were surprised to discover adult cicadas belonging to the species that was only supposed to emerge in 2021, four years earlier than expected.
They enjoy a few intense weeks of mating, at the end of which the females lay their eggs that start a new cycle of 17 years. Its nymphs develop underground over 17 years, as its name suggests, after which the adults emerge together to the surface - billions of individuals over a short time span.
The 17-year cicada is one of the most fascinating insects in nature.
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