TOP SONG: This is an up close look at the shell of a Cicada.

This is the adult Cicada emerging from its shell, getting ready to take flight.

By Charlie Hutson

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF) – Sometime this summer while sitting on the porch or deck, you’ve heard their song or to some noise, and odds are you’ve seen one of their left behind empty shells. Yep, I’m talking about Cicadas.

This is an adult Cicada coming out of its shell.

Most people never see the animated version of the Cicada Nymph, because the mature Nymph come out of the ground at night. Then they climb the nearest vertical surface and split the exoskeleton down the middle of the back and come out as wet, soft adults under the cover of darkness.

The split in the shell after the adult Cicada emerges.

When Cicada reach adulthood, life expectancy is short, usually only four to six weeks. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 09/04/023-6AM)

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