Science, art and culture: Cicadas impact our lives more than just once every 17 years

1. Cicadas help us study geographical and environmental diversity

Because different populations of periodical cicadas emerge in different years, they are reproductively isolated from other groups of the same species. These factors help scientists to understand how a single species can change over time in different geographic areas, climates and environmental conditions. You can be part of the citizen science research team by taking pictures of cicadas in your own backyard using the Cicada Safari app, which helps scientists track where and when cicadas emerge and how dense they are in any given area.

2. Cicadas inspire design

A new fabrication technique allows researchers to replicate the nanostructures of cicada wings. Photo Credit: Credit: USGS/Wayne Boo

The wings of cicadas are lightweight water repellant and differ in reflectivity due to their nanostructured pillars. The natural design of their wings has inspired techniques to create new materials such as light-scattering, antibacterial and water-repellant fabrics. To mimic the design, researchers use a technique called nanolithography, making an impression of the wings, and transferring it to other materials like polymer, silicone or gold.

3. They created opportunities to improve our disaster preparedness

Cicadas lay eggs in live or dead branches (depending on the species) a process called oviposition. This can cause major damage to agriculture like orchards, vineyards, and sugarcane. It has even disrupted the internet by cutting fiber optic cables as cicadas mistake them for withered branches. This led to engineers developing new technologies to make cicada-proof fiber optic cables. New shielding on cables is thick and smooth, making it less inviting to cicadas and keeping society online.

4. Cicadas are deafening

Cicada mating calls are extremely noisy, and can reach up to 100 decibels, or about as loud as a car horn 16 feet away. These loud calls are made possible by a special organ called a timbal, which contains a series of ribs that buckle and click as the cicada flexes its muscles. The collective buzzing of cicadas has disrupted major golf tournaments, weddings, graduations and even TV and movie productions. In New Zealand, police were using sound testing to investigate a murder, but the cicadas were disrupting their sensitive tests. To help with this, scientists recommended using firehoses to spray chorusing cicadas to reduce the noise.

5. Cicadas are cultural icons

There are more than 3,000 cicada species found across the world and have been significant in many cultures since ancient times. In some Asian cultures, cicadas are a symbol of re-birth, health, wealth and happiness. For many, cicadas have inspired art, music and theater. The French region of Provence proclaimed the cicada as their mascot and they are proudly displayed as good luck charms in pottery and fabrics. In New Zealand, a town is even named after the Maori — the indigenous Polynesian people of mainland New Zealand — word for cicada, Kihikihi, and features the Cicada Motel and a statue in its town square.

About the Author

Vincent Tedjasaputra, PhD

AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow

Vincent Tedjasaputra, PhD is an AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow at NSF in the Office of the Director, Office of Legislative and Public Affairs. He is a science communicator and public speaking coach. Prior to coming to NSF, Dr. Tedjasaputra studied healthy aging of the lung in his Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. He is a former collegiate track athlete-turned exercise physiologist, earning his Ph.D. in Physical Education and Recreation at the University of Alberta, in Edmonton, Canada, where he studied the pulmonary vascular response to exercise in health and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Outside of science, Vince is a professional vocalist, having sung the Canadian national anthem for collegiate and professional sporting events and performs classically as a lyrical baritone internationally.

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