By Kelly Hock
Not all people are bug people, but I have found that sometimes a little information can go a long way on fear, so let me introduce you to the harmless and annual Scissor Grinder Cicada.
The Scissor Grinders Cicadas are the bulging-eyed, shell leaving creatures that crawl out of the ground and buzz around like giant, hyper, intoxicated bugs on a mission, quickly flying into things during the dog days of summer here in Missouri. Cicadas are often seen being devoured by ants on a sidewalk or being chased and swatted at by cats and dogs alike, like a new play toy, until they become a treat.
Named for their song sounding like scissors being sharpened on an old-time grinding wheel, the Scissor Grinder Cicada in Missouri, Neotibicen pruinosus, is an “annual” cicada. Their life cycle begins with the females laying eggs in small branches on trees and woody plants. Once they hatch, the nymphs drop to the ground and burrow down. Once they reach a root, suck sap, growing and molting several times. Eventually, they use their feet designed for digging and clinging to make their way back up to the surface. From there, the fully developed nymphs take an epic journey to find a place to exit and leave their shell. You can find tiny ½ inch holes in the ground around trees where you see their shells or exuviae. Once a spot has been selected, The cicada begins its transformation by pushing out its head, then thorax, elegantly leaning backward and bending upside down like Cirque Du Solei contortionists. Finally, at the last moment, once they are hanging so far out, it appears they will assuredly fall to their doom; the cicadas gracefully and extremely slowly reach forward, grabbing the head of the shell from which they are emerging, and gently release the rest of their body. The cicadas hang on to the heads of their exuviae; bodies stretched out, their wings slowly unfold in such silent, minuscule amounts it is almost imperceptible. Once their wings are entirely revealed, they go through their final steps of transformation. The cicada goes through unsuspecting and beautiful hues of gold on the way; their bodies and wings change colors and harden, becoming the adult Scissor Grinder. These are reminiscent to we have come to see all these summers. Once a fully transformed adult, the scissor grinder only lives 4-5 weeks.
The scissor grinding buzz we hear is the mating call of the male, who emerges first.
They make their call, which can individually be as loud as a lawnmower, by expanding and contracting their tymbal near the wings on the sides of their abdomen. The females, who emerge a few days later, respond by clicking their wings together to alert males to their location. She will only mate once, so she may not accept her first suitor. You can imitate the females clicking response by snapping your fingers at a slow yet steady pace but be aware; it calls a male cicada which might land on you. (If interested, one can easily watch video examples with a quick internet search) After mating, the female begins her hunt for the perfect sized branch, of a quarter to half an inch diameter, to hide her eggs. She will make several tiny slits and lays her eggs 20-40 at a time, and lay a total of 200-400 eggs. Once fully transformed from a nymph, the adult scissor grinders only live 4-5 weeks.
Ten Myths, Facts & Benefits of Cicadas
- Cicadas are not locusts. Locusts are the things biblical plagues are made of, a type of grasshopper devouring plants and leaves. Cicadas suck the sap and are incapable of chewing and devouring anything. Cicadas are also primarily beneficial.
- Cicadas do not attack anything and do not bite. Not only do they not bite, but they also don’t have chewing/chomping mouthparts and cannot bite. They are designed to suck sap and could not bite you if they wanted to. If they fly into you, I promise it was not an intentional attack. Everything eats these bugs, and it desires evasion; it’s just sometimes it isn’t very good at it.
- Pretty much everything that can eat a cicada eats cicadas. That includes people around the world. Cicadas have as much protein as red meat. They contain all nine amino acids, making them a complete protein and an excellent source of antioxidants.
- Although saplings or small woody plants made up of primarily small branches can suffer irreparable damage due to the females’ egg-laying, Cicadas do not harm adult established trees. Cicada nymphs feed on the sap in the roots, which takes some of the nutrients, but this has not been known to damage trees. Cicadas can also benefit established trees by aerating the ground, pruning the small branches, and their dead bodies give nitrogen back to the soil.
- Most all other insects that leave an exuvia to eat it. Cicadas don’t because they don’t have the mouthparts.
- The exuviae of cicadas have been used in traditional medicines throughout history for ailments such as migraines, inflammation, cancer, convulsions, and more, but WARNING is known to be dangerous for pregnant women.
- You can tell females and males apart by their abdomen. The females’ abdomens come to a pronounced dark point, and males are more domed, think shield bug.
- Over 3,000 types of cicadas—periodicals that emerge in 7,13-, and 17-year intervals. And Annuals which is a misnomer, emerge every 2-5 years with overlapping generations.
- All cicadas have the same life cycle. They only vary in how long they stay underground. Some ponder if the 13- and 17-year cicadas may emerge during prime years to avoid predators’ cycles and avoid being lived off by other animals.
- The fluctuating seasons are believed to be affecting the emergence time of some cicadas as some broods are emerging early.
