Summer's Loud Bugs

Judy Gallagher · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

Do you hear that sound in the summer? It is a loud buzz, like a tiny machine. These sounds come from cicadas. Cicadas are insects that spend most of their lives underground. They eat roots and grow slowly. When they are ready, they dig their way up to the light. This often happens in July. Once above ground, cicadas shed their old skin. They climb onto trees and plants. Male cicadas make the loud buzzing sound. They rub parts of their bodies together to sing. This song helps them find other cicadas. Females lay their eggs in tree branches. After a few weeks, the adult cicadas die. Their babies hatch and drop to the ground. Then they dig down to start a new cycle. It can take many years for them to come back out.

Questions

1.What is one thing cicadas do when they come above ground?
- They build big nests.
- They fly south for winter.
- They shed their old skin.
- They plant new trees.
2.Where do cicadas spend most of their lives?
- In the water.
- In tall grass.
- On tree branches.
- Underground.
3.Why do male cicadas make a loud buzzing sound?
- To find food to eat.
- To scare other animals away.
- To help them find other cicadas.
- To tell people it is summer.