The diagram illustrates the life cycle of a cicada, an insect that goes through three main stages: egg, nymph, and adult. Overall, this process takes between two and seventeen years to complete.
The cycle begins when female cicadas lay their eggs inside tree branches. After about two to seven months, these eggs hatch and release nymphs. The young insects then fall to the ground and burrow into the soil, where they live in tunnels near tree roots. This underground stage lasts from two to seventeen years, during which the nymphs gradually grow.
When the nymphs are fully developed, they emerge from the ground and climb up tree trunks. They then shed their outer skin, a process that takes about 20 to 150 minutes, and become adult cicadas. Finally, the mature insects lay their eggs inside tree branches, and the life cycle begins again.
