Insect Cicada Facts

Cicadas have turned a deadly zombie fungus Cordyceps into an ally, the fungus is known to kill any insect species it comes in contact with theatlantic.com/science/a…

Cicadas emerge at prime number intervals because it is less likely for predators to sync their cycles with the insects'. the-scientist.com/?articl…

Periodical cicadas are an insect that spends up to 17 years underground before emerging for a month long frenzy of singing and sex before dying of exhaustion bbc.co.uk/earth/story/201…

There is an insect related to the cicada that has a fake ant on it's back for camouflage. newscientist.com/gallery/…

Today I learned of the parasitic Massospora fungus which infects cicadas, replaces their genitals with a fungal stump, and hijacks their brains with amphetamines and/or psilocybin (the key chemical in hallucinogenic mushrooms), forcing them to mate non-stop and spread the fungal spores to infect other cicadas. nytimes.com/2019/06/28/sc…