Sunday Morning, 7.30 am
and already the cicadas are buzzing away, a definite sign of a very hot day in the making...
Because I have a need for quiet white this morning
my white vases will come out and I shall fill them with what I can find around the garden.
I like to group them together, filled with white flowers and green foliage in different textures around the house..
I started this post as one on white hues since it is so hot and I have a need for white around me...but the tjieeeeee is so loud , I had to found out...
So did you know: and this is amazing..!
* Tjieeeeeee....
There are about 2,500 species of cicada around the world, and many of them remain unclassified.Cicadas are probably best known for their buzzing and clicking noises, which can be amplified by multitudes of insects into an overpowering hum.
* Cicadas live in temperate to tropical climates where they are among the most widely recognized of all insects, mainly due to their large size and unique sound.
* it can take up to 17 years for them to emerge!!
Cicadas live sans wings underground up to 17 years !! deep underground... under a tree where they live off the sap from the roots at the bottom ...
the time underground varies from 2 to 5 up to 17 years, depending on species and area found.
When young cicada nymphs hatch from their eggs, they dig themselves into the ground to suck the liquids of plant roots
...and then suddenly,after years underground,when they are ready to become adults, these nymphs tunnel to the surface and crawl up on the side of the nearest object.
The skin splits down the middle of their back and they emerge to inflate and dry their wings. This is done at night.
this is when they start to "sing"!
* and again...tjieeeeeeeeee...
How loud are cicadas? Some have been measured at 100 decibels at 20 yards away, which is loud enough to be heard over a lawnmower!
* Only the males "sing"..(mostly)
Males produce this species-specific noise with vibrating membranes on their abdomens. The sounds vary widely and some species are more musical than others. Though cicada noises may sound alike to humans, the insects use different calls to express alarm or attract mates.
* Cicadas are often colloquially called locusts although they are unrelated to true locusts, which are a kind of grasshopper. Cicadas are related to leaf hoppers and spittle bugs.
In Latin, cicada means “buzzer” and they buzz by vibrating membranes on their abdomens, which are mostly hollow and work as amplifiers. They modulate the buzz by angling it off the tree they’re perched on. Each species has its own song.
* Cicadas are benign to humans under normal circumstances and do not bite or sting in a true sense, but may mistake a person's arm or other part of their body for a tree or plant limb and attempt to feed.
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I find it sad in a way that by the time they begin to "sing" ..it is the end of their lifespan
This insect's amazing lifestyle has been a source of fascination since ancient times. Several cultures, such as the ancient Chinese, regarded these insects as powerful symbols of rebirth.
The Provence cicada has also become a symbol of vacation and happiness
It is considered a symbol of good luck in France when, if one wants to respect the tradition,
it is hung slanted outside, by the main entrance door of the house.
The most sought after being those made by the famous Vallauris pottery company and is hand painted. The Vallauris company became famous through Piccaso because that is where he made all his pottery.
Provence "ceramic cicada" was created in 1895 by a French sculptor/potter who was commissioned by a firm to create its company gift.
The idea came to him after being inspired by poems by H. Fabre that mentioned the Provence Cicada.
He came up with a Cicada paper weight resting an olive tree branch.
In 1900, he created the Wall Pocket shaped as a Cicada which became thereafter a very popular subject.
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I am in my garden today, perhaps I will be lucky enough to see a nymph that has emerged...
there sure is allot of calling for mates today..
isn't life wonderful!!
Colette
ready for some green in white
ps. Here in South Africa, in Afrikaans, the cycadas are known as "sonbesies"
when translated directly: "sun beetles"
by what name do you know them?
I would love to know.
