Puberty is Rough!!

Once the nymphs have emerged from the ground and found their vertical surface to climb, it’s time to change into an adult. They very quickly will plant their legs into the tree, bush, etc., and begin the molting process.

The molt can last 1-2 hours, and they are very vulnerable during that time. They start by splitting at the top and slowly start to emerge.

In layman’s terms, they start splitting up on their shoulders

As they emerge from the molt, the cicada is white. It appears that it uses gravity to unfurl and stretch out. For those of you who are older, it looks like they’re getting ready to do the Neste plunge!

When it’s most of the way out, it starts to bend back up. Just think of the core muscles it must have! One site referred to it as “the cicada sit-up”.

It then sits on or near it’s molt and pumps fluid into the wings to expand them.

Over the next hour or two things harden and turns dark.

Next Chapter: Molts, Molts, Everywhere!