JUNE 9 (Reuters) — A university professor at Kansas State University captured the moment thousands of rare cicadas settled on a tree in the city of Derby on Wednesday (June 3), after they had emerged from the ground after living in the soil for 17 years.
Jason Griffin, a professor at the university’s department of Horticulture and Forestry, said the winged insects are known for their high-pitched sound and are the longest known living insects.
They develop slowly in the soil below trees and feed off roots, before emerging in synchronized periods after 17 years, when they are fully grown.
Cicadas can also be found in the western states of Colorado and Iowa, but have also been identified in the southern state of Texas.
