At this time of year, male cicadas usually gather in large numbers on trees and shrubs. They play their songs in unison to attract mates. To human ears, these songs may all sound similar. But the truth is that different species play different songs each of which is rendered in a specific frequency and timing to make sure the girls end up with the right guys, those of their own species. Like many insects, reproduction is the priority of adult cicadas, and they have just a few weeks to accomplish this mission.
Males die soon after mating, females after they have laid their eggs.
The common Meimuna opalifera produces about 200 eggs in each clutch . After around 120 days, tiny hatchlings break out from the eggs, which are deposited on trees, and drop themselves onto the ground. Armed with a pair of digging legs-the front pair they burrow into the soil where they spend much of their lives, feeding by sucking nutritious sap from plant roots. Underground, the nymphs moult three to four times each month and every time they grow bigger. They spend several years in the dark subterranean world from five to 17 years, depending on species and never reappear above ground until it's time to crawl up tree trunks for the final metamorphosis.