The given diagram clarifies the life time of the cicada, illustrating its revolution from egg to fully developed insect over a span of several years. The progression consists of three main periods: egg, nymph and aldult cicada.
The process starts with female cicadas laying their eggs within tree banches. After about 2 to 7 months, the eggs hatch into nymphs that fall to the ground. In this stage, the nymphs live under ground and tunnel near tree roots. This phase constitutes the longest segment of the cicada’s life cycle, lasting between 2 and 17 years, depending on the species.
When the nymphs grown up, they come out of the ground and crawl up tree trunks or other surface. At this point, they undergo molting, shedding their old skin in a process that takes between 20 and 150 minutes. After that, the cicada change into an adult one, ready to continue the life cycle.
To sum it up, the cicada’s life cycle features a long period as nymph underground and a short adult phrase, during which they focus on reproduction before dying.
