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Description: Large, loud (males) insects, comprised of 22 genera and 160 species. Most of their lives are spent as nymphs which hatch from eggs laid on twigs of trees. The nymphs tunnel underground to suck the sap from tree roots, which they do for several years. They eventually crawl to the surface, attach to a vertical object then emerge from the exoskeleton as winged adults. The entire life span varies among genera, from 2 to 17 years, some emerging in sychronized cycles.

Cicadas are the only insects with a percussion mechanism for sound production, which is vibrated by a special membrane to create the whining, grinding buzzing sound that is echoed and amplified by the males.

From Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America (2006).
Comments: pronounced /si-kay-duh/