13 Fascinating Now-You-Know Facts About Cicadas

At first glance, cicadas may look horrifying. They are large insects with segmented bodies and long, dangling antennae. Their eyes are huge and compound, and their mouths are filled with sharp teeth. But the more you learn about them, the more you realize: yeah, wow, these are some f*ed up little critters.

 For one thing, they spend most of their lives underground, emerging only once every 17 years to mate. And when they do emerge, they do so in such huge numbers that they can completely overwhelm an area. They climb up trees and buildings, shedding their skin as they go. And when they reach the top, they start singing. It’s a loud, jarring sound that can go on for hours at a time. If that wasn’t enough, they also have a tendency to get drunk on fermenting fruit. As a result, they often stagger around in a daze, making them easy prey for predators. So yes, cicadas may be ugly and disturbing creatures. But there’s also something strangely fascinating about them.