Cicada Facts and Information
This is Twitterbug, a Beanie Baby made by Ty Inc. Twitterbug is a Cicada.
Cicadas belong to the Order Homoptera. Homoptera means "similar wing." There are 45,000 species worldwide and 6,000 in North America. Unlike true bugs, Homopterans have sucking, beaklike mouthparts and their wings are uniformly membranous. The wings of true bugs are divided into membranous and leathery areas.
Cicadas belong to the Family Cicadidae. They are large insects, from one to 3 inches long. Males have a sound producing organ below the base of the abdomen. Different cicadas produce different sounds, from a loud buzz to a clacking sound.
Some cicadas have long life cycles. There are 13 and 17 year varieties. Most of their life is spent underground in a nymphal stage. They feed on the juices and sap of tree roots. There are also cicadas whose cycles are shorter. Once the adults emerge from the nymphal skin, they climb the trees and can be seen and heard by the thousands.
