Cicada sighting? - Ask Extension
Found this guy in my raspberry plant shedding his skin. Google lens says it’s a cicada. Never knew we had cicadas in our region.
Knowledgebase
Cicada sighting? #875352
Asked June 30, 2024, 2:07 PM EDT
Found this guy in my raspberry plant shedding his skin. Google lens says it’s a cicada. Never knew we had cicadas in our region.
Washington County Oregon
Expert Response
Hi Laura,
Terrific photos!!
As you may know, cicada nymphs develop underground feeding on plant roots for a number of years, and the mature nymphs crawl out of the ground and molt to become adults, which live above ground. What you photographed was a mature nymph that had crawled out of the ground and climbed your raspberry plant to molt and allow the adult form to emerge.
We do have cicadas in Oregon. The cicada species we have take 2-5 years to mature and become adults, but generations overlap, so some adults emerge every year. In contrast, the more famous periodical cicadas in eastern North America (Magicicada species) take 13 or 17 years to mature and become adults, but generations are synchronized so there are mass emergences of adults every 13 or 17 years, and adults are rare or absent in other years.
There are 30 cicada species from 3 genera known to occur in Oregon. Twenty-three of these are Okanagana species, plus there are 5 Platypedia species and 2 Neoplatypedia species. The Okanagana species make the buzzing sound you typically think of a cicada singing. The Platypedia and Neoplatypedia species do not produce the buzzing sound, but instead, use their wings to make clicking sounds that attract mates.
Enjoy!
Terrific photos!!
As you may know, cicada nymphs develop underground feeding on plant roots for a number of years, and the mature nymphs crawl out of the ground and molt to become adults, which live above ground. What you photographed was a mature nymph that had crawled out of the ground and climbed your raspberry plant to molt and allow the adult form to emerge.
We do have cicadas in Oregon. The cicada species we have take 2-5 years to mature and become adults, but generations overlap, so some adults emerge every year. In contrast, the more famous periodical cicadas in eastern North America (Magicicada species) take 13 or 17 years to mature and become adults, but generations are synchronized so there are mass emergences of adults every 13 or 17 years, and adults are rare or absent in other years.
There are 30 cicada species from 3 genera known to occur in Oregon. Twenty-three of these are Okanagana species, plus there are 5 Platypedia species and 2 Neoplatypedia species. The Okanagana species make the buzzing sound you typically think of a cicada singing. The Platypedia and Neoplatypedia species do not produce the buzzing sound, but instead, use their wings to make clicking sounds that attract mates.
Enjoy!
