Their new pale-white bodies are said to be mistaken as fairies in some cultures. After several minutes, the wings fully expand and in a couple of hours, will harden. It will still be a few days before they become strong flyers. Note the dying, partially emerged cicada at the top of this picture. This cicada chooses to bask in the early morning sun.
Emergence generally begins in the late evening hours and continues throughout the night.
Cicadas that emerge during the day take a serious risk of being eaten by predators. A resting female Magicicada. After a couple of hours, the cicada's body will begin to darken and its wings will harden and fold over its back. These cicadas will gather their strength and climb into the tree canopy. Seventeen years in the making.