Description and photo of a cicada fly

The fly cicada is an unusual creature of our planet, surprising with its appearance, lifestyle, development, and making sounds. The insect got its name due to the massive appearance of larvae every 13-17 years. Huge hordes of cubs get out of the ground, attack trees, shrubs. In a few days they turn into adults. About 2500 varieties of cicadas are known in the world. They live mainly in the tropical, subtropical zone. In our area 2 species live.

Amazing look

Cicada has a number of significant differences from regular housefly, similarity with other insects. It is called a tadpole because of the large massive head that connects to the sternum. They call it a butterfly, because the shape of the wings in the open state is similar.

• On a large head are placed 2 complex eyes, three simple eyes. The insect sees well, quickly responds to movement.
• Long transparent wings fold evenly along the body. The color scheme of the color is very different with spots, dots, stripes, complex patterns.
• The body size of cicadas is from 2 to 6 cm. The wingspan reaches 18 cm.

A photo of a cicada fly is presented below. No less amazing the appearance of the larva. It looks like a bear. The same massive front part - head, sternum. The front pairs of limbs are similar to claws of cancer, they are used for loosening the soil, digging moves. Immediately after birth from eggs, the larvae make their way into the ground, pass a long development path - about 17 years.

Lifestyle

The cicada fly feeds on plant juices, the larva feeds on roots. They amaze the plant with numerous crowds, which bring significant damage to agriculture. After the larvae emerge from the ground, they hastily move to the green part of the trees.

On a note!

For 1 square. m. of area can accumulate about 300 individuals.

In tropical countries, the emergence of a new generation of cicadas is a real feast for birds, many animals. After a few days, full enemies leave to digest protein food, the remaining cicadas begin mating season.

Males emit melodic loud trills to attract females. The chirping is so loud that the sounds of dragonflies and grasshoppers fade in front of him. Residents of the tropical countryside compare the sound of a cicada fly with the roar of a chainsaw, the sound of a locomotive. Noise is annoying to the nervous system.

In the vast majority, the song is played exclusively by the male, the females mate silently, lay their eggs so as not to attract enemies. Appearance with brown, green shades and transparent wings easily allows you to take refuge in thickets of shrubs and trees. Even with an impressive size, the fly is hard to notice.

Interesting!

The source of loud sound is at the end of the body. A membrane is placed there, which is set in motion by the muscles, followed by a resonator that amplifies a chirping sound several times. The membrane oscillates about 600 times per second. In the tropics - it's just a deafening sound.

The mating season lasts about a week. The male lives after mating for about 14 days, the female can live up to 2 months. During this time, lays within 2 thousand eggs. Locals compare the appearance of adult larvae with the invasion of locusts, which destroys everything in its path.

Special singing

The loudest singers in the world publish about 6 varieties of melody. This is not only a call for fertilization, a sign of the beginning of the mating season, but also deterrence, prevention, attraction, communication.

Thanks to a special song, different types of cicadas are not confused. The female flies to the song of the male of his own family. Determine with accuracy the location of the male representative, the female is capable of half a meter. The female sits down, flaps its wings, gives off pheromones that the male feels, sets off in search of her.

The auditory organs of cicadas are identical to crickets, but more sensitive. Able to distinguish between different warning signals, attractive sound. Males of Caucasian mountain cicadas make a crying sound that attracts females at a long distance. For a short distance to other males, it sounds like an aggressive warning. In this way, each male marks the area of ​​his possessions. In case of what rushes into battle.

Interesting!

If you manage to catch the male, a terrible loud sound will immediately follow, which looks like a protest and warning to others about the danger. In this way, insects communicate with each other, capture the most insignificant fluctuations in air. The loudest singers of the planet also have the most developed hearing system.

Types of cicadas in Russia

Only 2 species of cicadas singing flies live in our country. Their lifestyle is practically no different from tropical relatives, but has its own characteristics.

Common cicada

Habitual inhabitant of the Crimea, the Caucasus, the Mediterranean, Transcaucasia. Settled in forests, mountains, forest-steppes. The chatter of these insects drowns out the singing of other insects. Extremely active during the day. The cicada fly in the Crimea belongs to agricultural pests, they are trying to get rid of it in every way.

Cicada is pretty big fly. Body size about 36 mm, with wings - 55 mm. Coloring in green tones with brown spots. This disguise allows the insect to hide in the thickets, calmly lay eggs. On the head are clearly visible 2 large complex eyes, a long mustache. Wings, despite the transparency, external fragility, extremely hard, sharp. They can easily be cut if you take the insect in your hands.

Crimean adult the fly eats plant sap, lays eggs under the bark of trees. The development of larvae occurs in the soil, where pests eat roots of various crops. Generation of two to four years. Out of the ground massively. The imago lives about a month.

Interesting!

The larvae of the common cicada fly have a formidable appearance, resemble a bear, a mantis, a crustacean. Impressive front claws, like a monster, give the appearance of a predator. However, this is just a tool for loosening the soil, digging moves. An unusual creature eats juices from the root system of plants.

Mountain cicada

The only representative of the species in central Russia. A cicada fly lives in the Krasnodar Territory, Siberia, Primorye, the Caucasus, the Middle East, Transcaucasia, and Europe.

The fly is relatively small - up to 20 mm. The body is brown or orange, on a black base. With different spots, patterns. The wings are transparent, hard, sharp at the edges, the membranes are clearly visible. In the male, in the back of the body, there is a sound device made of two black platelets with a white border.

The life cycle of an insect consists of 5 ages. Females lay eggs on plant stems, cuttings, young shoots. Hatching from an egg, larvae of the first age live on the grass for some time, eating juices. Gradually move to the soil, go deep into 35 cm. They live in the soil up to 6 years. Before turning into a fly, they get out, crawl onto trees, shrubs.

Mountain cicada is found on the edges of the forest, fields, steppes, bushes. Often settles in gardens. They are active during the day, a massive invasion is observed in May-June. The insect loves heat, light.Climbed on a hill, the crowns of trees. Mountain cicada is listed in the Red Book, is under protection.