The Cicada are Calling

 From my front porch:

 The molted exoskeleton of an immature Cicada

It is fascinating, or at least it is for me, to watch these big ugly bugs hatch. The grubs live in the soil for several years until they emerge looking like this!

Taking several hours during the night, the Cicada emerges from this nymph as a beautiful soft shimmering insect.  The outer shell hardens over the next few hours, the wings open and become larger and larger, their huge eyes develop, and the Cicada turn into a giant flying noisy aggravating BUG!

According to Wikipedia "Cicadas like heat and do their most spirited singing during the hotter hours of a summer day. Although only males produce the cicadas' distinctive sound, both sexes have tympana, which are membranous structures used to detect sounds and thus the cicadas' equivalent of ears. Males can disable their own tympana while calling".
Which is probably a good thing for him or he would go deaf while creating his loud song.

The Cicada are so loud in the evenings we can't hold a normal conversation while sitting on the porch!

When I was younger, we called these Jar Flies, I guess because of the 'jarring' sounds they make?!?

The line of nymphs reminds me of a herd of elephants trying to climb a mountain!  

My yard is littered with the empty exoskeletons, but the ones on this tree limb are the most noticeable...Cicada are also called the 17 year Locust.

  Last year was an 'official' year, but I guess these didn't get the memo:)