Cicadas, found all over the world and throughout the United States, are complex organisms that have influenced people throughout the ages.  Ancient cultures saw the life cycles of cicadas and the song, or mating call produced by male cicadas as particularly symbolic. Reverence and symbolism of the cicada were prominent in ancient Chinese, Greek, and Native American societies.  The Chinese saw the mass emergence of cicadas from underground as a symbol of rebirth, and as passing into the afterlife. The Greeks adored the cicada for the mating call produced by males, known as its song, and Native American mythology is influenced by the cicada.  The modern fields of engineering and medicine are influenced by cicadas as well, as cicada wings are hydrophobic, and a specific species of cicada has the ability to rupture bacterial cells. Modern cultures, such as Japan, enjoy catching cicadas as a summer hobby enjoyed by many.  In addition, cicadas are integral in providing nutrients to their predator populations in the ecosystems they're a part of.  Cicadas have a difficult time finding ways to fight back against their predators, which gives predators access to a vulnerable source of prey with vast numbers.  Although cicadas are given a short life above-ground that is often cut short by predation, their song serves as a reminder that the next emergence of cicadas will bring about the same sort of rebirth and renewal experienced with the previous emergence.

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By: Bailey Cunningham

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