Seventeen-year cicada
Magicicada septendecim
30 mmAdult individual
Body length
Body length
od przodu głowy do końca odwłoka · bez skrzydełMeasurement: side
Seventeen-year cicada — size comparison
The seventeen-year cicada spends most of its life underground, feeding from tree roots. Members of the same brood emerge in large numbers, complete their final
Silhouette comparison
Length
od przodu głowy do końca odwłoka · bez skrzydełScale for the stated dimensions · each animal is labelled
Measurement comparisonScale in cm
0246810
30 mm
8.56 cm
The scale compares the named dimensions. View direction and measurement points are given for each animal.
Seventeen-year cicada — size comparison — facts and sources
The seventeen-year cicada spends most of its life underground, feeding from tree roots. Members of the same brood emerge in large numbers, complete their final moult and begin a short breeding period.
Males attract mates with loud signals. Females lay eggs in cuts in twigs; hatchlings descend to the ground and begin another underground stage.
Mass emergence may reduce an individual’s risk of being eaten: there are more cicadas than predators can consume. The seventeen-year cycle applies to particular species and broods rather than all North American cicadas.