The Dogday Harvestfly or Cicada (Tibicen canicularis) is the species normally found throughout Long Point Country, with greenish colouration to the wings and makes a loud buzzsaw whine. Its larva only stays underground for three years. The Periodical Cicada (Magicicada spp.) lives underground 13 to 17 years, has a darker colour with red bulging eyes and makes less noise. The Perioical Cicada range does enter the Great Lakes Region.

The cicadas, commonly known as locusts or harvestflies, are actually not related to either group of insects but rather to the aphids and leafhoppers. The so-called 13- and 17-year locusts are actually cicadas with 13- and 17-year life cycles. All but about one month of a cicada’s life is spent underground, where the larval stage, called a nymph, feeds on sap from tree roots. All of the nymphs of a particular species emerge from the ground at the same time, molt, feed, mate, and die.

Dorling KindersleyBBC Natural History Sound Library. All rights reserved.

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