The process of pupating molting into cicadas

The outer shell of the pupae cracked, the young tick separated itself from the shell, the transparent wings gradually hardened to allow it to fly away, leaving the pupil crust on the wall of the warehouse.

Mark Anderson, from Alice Springs, Australia, posted the video on personal Facebook on January 16 and received 600 views in just two hours.

According to Russia Today, this transformation took about an hour, but Anderson used time-lapse, so the video shortened to only 30 seconds.

Picture 1 of The process of pupating molting into cicadas
Cicada's life cycle.(Photo: Cicadamania.com)

There are about 2,500 cicada species known in the world, in temperate and tropical regions. Scientists say that depending on the species of cicadas they have different life cycles. Most ticks have a lifespan of two to five years. Some species have a much longer life cycle, such as cicadas in the Magicicada genus that have a 13-year lifespan and sometimes 17 years.

Such long lifecycle is an adaptation against species that eat bees like wasps and mantis, because these short-lived carnivores cannot often appear simultaneously with ticks.

According to USA Today, female cicadas lay eggs on trees, eggs hatch for a period of 6-8 weeks, larvae fall down and dig holes hidden in the ground. They live mainly on tree sap from the roots.

At the end of the larval stage, the pupae crawl to the ground, then molt on the tree, the body gradually changes from white to black.

Adult males start singing, attracting females. Then the female lays eggs on the young branches. A new life cycle of cicadas begins.