11 June 2004

A new beginning

Allen E. Rhodes

This annual cicada (Family Cicadidae) was caught in the act of emerging from the exoskeleton of its final nymph stage by Allen E. Rhodes, a retired U.S. Army colonel who lives in Seguin, Texas. This is Allen's second contribution to Gallery.

Annual cicadas emerge from the soil each spring or summer after one or two years as nymphs that feed on fluids from the roots of trees. They are not nearly as numerous as the periodical cicadas, which emerge in huge numbers every 13 or 17 years. All cicadas are known for their loud songs.

The Web features many articles about cicadas. The Cicada Mania Web site lists nearly 200 links to cicada sites at www.cicadamania.net/cicadalinks.html. .