Step outside right now and you’ll likely be annoyed by a loud buzzing sound emanating from treetops. What you’re hearing are cicadas, often and mistakenly referred to as locusts. The two differ as cicadas are true bugs while locusts are a swarming phase of short-horned grasshoppers. Both insects are herbivorous and capable of swarming which often leads to confusion between the two. However, their behaviors, lifespans, diets and physical characteristics are different.

More formally, Cicadas are known for their emergence in late summer into early fall. They’re known for their loud mating calls after spending years underground before emerging. They undergo a transformation from nymphs to winged adults after spending several years underground. The lifecycle begins with eggs laid by females in tree twigs, which hatch into nymphs after approximately ten weeks. Cicada nymphs feed on plant roots while living in the soil and go through four molts. When conditions are favorable, nymphs emerge from underground, climb onto vertical surfaces and prepare for their final molt.

During this process, the nymph’s exoskeleton splits, allowing the adult cicada to emerge. Initially, the new adult cicada is soft and pale, but over time, its exoskeleton hardens and its wings unfurl and dry, enabling flight and reproduction.

Cicadas can become a nuisance due to their large numbers and loud noise, especially for outdoor weddings and other outdoor events. While they may cause some damage to young trees when laying eggs, cicadas are not dangerous to humans or pets (as they do not bite or sting) nor do they damage gardens or crops.

Cicadas are typically five inches long with a wingspan twice as wide featuring black bodies, and large red-brown eyes. Their longevity of their underground lifecycle is believed to help them evade predators.

As for their food source, they primarily feed by sucking fluid from trees while producing a honeydew substance, making them mostly harmless to crops. And as part of the food chain, cicadas serve as a vital food source for various birds and other predators.

Hopefully, this explanation will serve to correct any confusion between the cicada and locust.

SALTWATER FISHING REPORT

If planning a trip to the Jersey shore for some saltwater angling, On the Water Magazine reports that the fall transition is heating up with bonito, Spanish mackerel and false albacore have been blitzing along the beaches, while fluke continue to produce on reefs and wrecks.

Offshore, mahi remain abundant around the pots, with September bringing improved opportunities for yellowfin, bigeye and billfish in the canyons.