What's Been Eating Our Oak.

While doing research when writing about my cicada images, I read that the underground nymphs munch on tree roots. Many of us have seen the shed exoskeleton of the larval cicada- they aren't hard to find attached to trees. You can even pick the paper thin shell up and put it on other things, including your friend's shirt, for example.

Anyways, I have never seen one of these larvae alive, until last weekend, when I was digging up some lemon scented mint in the yard. As I dug into clay soil with a potato rake and begin ripping out roots, I noticed a tan blog slowly waving its legs, clearly out of its element in the light. It was a LIVE cicada nymph.

Although the nymph's opque eyes make it look dead, it was very much alive, waving its legs up and down slowly but assuredly.

Take a look at the wing buds and those massive front claws.

And it is hard to believe that soon, this creature will climb up a tree, break out of its exoskeleton, and become an aerial tree dweller.

If you liked this, you may enjoy looking at more of my cicada images

Tom