Typical Cicadas (Cicadidae) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Typical cicadas are insects heard buzzing in trees in summer, with males calling for mates. They spend most of their lives underground as young insects feeding on roots. Annual cicadas appear every summer, while periodical cicadas emerge together every 13 or 17 years in parts of the eastern United States.

In this group

Pharaoh CicadaMagicicada septendecim

This large 17-year periodical cicada lives in the eastern United States. Broad orange bands on the rear part of its body and an orange patch behind its head help separate it from other 17-year species.

Cassin's 17-year CicadaMagicicada cassinii

This eastern periodical cicada is smaller and usually has a mostly black abdomen. Its call and the emerging with it are important identification clues.

Northern Dog-day CicadaNeotibicen canicularis

This annual cicada appears in northern parts of the United States during midsummer. Green markings and clear wings distinguish it from red-eyed periodical cicadas.

Appearance

Appearance: Adults are sturdy insects with wings usually longer than the body. Many U.S. annual cicadas are green and black, while periodical cicadas are smaller, mostly black, and have red-orange eyes and wing veins.
How to recognize it: Typical cicadas have a broad head with large eyes set far apart, short bristlelike antennae, and two pairs of thin, translucent wings. Males make their calls by flexing drumlike on the abdomen.

Look-alikes

Typical LeafhoppersCicadellidae

Leafhoppers are usually much smaller and wedge-shaped, and they spring away when disturbed. Cicadas have a broad head, very large eyes, and long, translucent wings.

Why they get mixed upBoth are sap-feeding true bugs with rooflike wings.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: woodlands
parks and yards
desert trees and shrubs
Range: Cicadidae occurs around the world except Antarctica and is most diverse in the tropics. The United States has annual cicadas across many regions and periodical cicadas only in the eastern part of the country.
Preferred conditions: s need soil around living roots, while adults spend much of their time on trunks and branches. Species differ greatly in climate, host plants, and emergence timing.

Behavior

Diet: Nymphs drink fluid from roots, and adults also take fluid from woody plants.
Activity: Different species call by day, at dusk, or after dark. Annual species emerge in some numbers each summer, while periodical species emerge together in a scheduled brood.

Life cycle

Reproduction: A female cuts small slits in twigs and places eggs inside. After hatching, the tiny nymphs drop to the ground and burrow into soil.
Larva: The underground nymph feeds near roots and molts several times. A mature nymph climbs a trunk or other upright surface, sheds its skin, and expands its wings.
Lifespan: Development time varies widely. Many annual cicadas take several years to mature, while the seven U.S. periodical cicada species use 13- or 17-year cycles.

Name and classification

Group name: The only living cicadas outside this family are two Australian species.
Number of species: A 2025 study reported more than 3,000 species worldwide. Tropical regions hold many more species than temperate ones.

Conservation

Threats: Removing mature trees, disturbing root zones, or sealing soil can reduce habitat for species that spend years underground.

Culture and stories

Culture and stories: Periodical cicada emergences are major natural events in the eastern United States.
Cicadas do not bite or sting people.
Brood numbers group periodical cicadas by where and when they emerge; they do not name separate species.

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