How to Catch A Cicada

Each year in the Desert Southwest we experience the return of the annual cicadas. They are, for me, a welcome sign that the monsoon season is set to begin. I have taught my girls to recognize them as a sign of the summer rains - and we always enjoy an afternoon cicada hunt. Here is how to catch cicadas - so your kids can get an up-close look at these amazing insects.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. FIND 'EM: The cicada song, a high-pitched rill, is easy to recognize but can be rather difficult to pinpoint. It's easy to tell which tree it's in, but difficult, one you're standing under said tree, to figure out exactly where the little bugger is hiding.

2. Try moving around. It is much easier to home in on their exact location as you move around. Also, look for them on the undersides of the branches. As they are a prime food source for every type of bird outside the hummingbird family, they tend to hide on the underside of branches.

3. Once you locate one that is within reach from the ground (Don't waste your time climbing the tree - as they all simply fly away as soon as the tree shakes), approach it very slowly.

4. Cicada are similar to grasshoppers in that to catch them, one must be both slow and quick. Approach them slowly, and then grab them quickly. You will catch them most easily by pinching their wings between thumb and forefinger. With your hand held about an inch away from them, quickly make a grab to pinch their wings together at the base of their bodies.

5. Be careful not to rub their wings together, wrinkle, break, or otherwise harm these beautiful creatures. I catch them only so my girls will learn not to fear insects, and so that we can take an up close look at them. We always release them within just a few minutes, and I make a concerted effort not to harm them while I have them. Please do the same.

Tips & Warnings

• Children love cicada hunting, but also enjoy finding Cicada shells - the castings left behind when cicada transform from their juvenile forms to their adult, winged selves. These casings can be found on trees and walls about 1-3 feet off the ground. Be careful, they're very brittle.
• Cicadas can not hurt you, but you can inadvertently hurt them. Be as gentle as possible with them once they've been captured.

[momose]

on 8/31/2009 LOVE Cicadas and their interesting songs! I am happy to see someone praising their beauty. You might find interesting an article I wrote featuring a Picasa slide show of the metamorphosis of a Cicada....http://knol.google.com/k/--/metamorphosis-of-a-cicada-dog-days/13occ41y68o61/29#.... Thanks, Tucsondad! *****