As the scorching Arizona sun rises, a deafening chorus can be heard from the trees, signaling the arrival of summer’s symphony masters – the cicadas. While their incredible loudness of sound has annoyed some Arizonans, their unusual life cycles and creative means of survival make them remarkable insects. Since they spend years underground as nymphs painstakingly creating tiny tunnel networks, cicadas are no strangers to patience. Some species in Arizona can stay underground for up to three years before emerging in large numbers in a breathtaking demonstration of the tenacity of nature. Known as “brooding,” this coordinated emergence serves as a tactical protection mechanism by overpowering predators with sheer numbers.
Cicadas use a clever cooling method when the desert heat builds up: sweat. They generate an evaporative cooling effect by emptying surplus water from their bodies through pores on their thorax, which enables them to be active even during the warmest hours of the day when their predators seek cover. It takes this adaptability to endure the intense heat of Arizona’s deserts. When environmental cues align, the nymphs emerge from their underground abodes, often at night. By morning, they have shed their nymphal skins, revealing soft, vulnerable adult forms. In a remarkable feat of nature, their exoskeletons harden, and their wings unfurl within hours, preparing them for their brief but resonant performance.
Male cicadas are the true maestros of this symphony, producing their distinctive mating calls through a remarkable mechanism. Flexing specialized muscles, they vibrate thin, hardened membranes called “tymbals,” amplifying the sound through hollow cavities in their bodies. This ingenious design allows them to achieve astonishing volumes, rivaling the decibel levels of a rock concert. In the vast expanses of Arizona, these calls can be heard echoing across the landscape. Despite their deafening presence, cicadas are masters of evasion. Their calls are so loud and omnidirectional that predators struggle to pinpoint their exact locations. Coupled with their ability to abruptly silence their calls and hide, cicadas employ a clever strategy to outwit their foes in the Arizona wilderness.
Even after their brief but brilliant performances, cicadas face formidable adversaries. The nightmarish cicada killer wasp hunts them down, paralyzing them and burying them alive as hosts for their offspring. Some cicadas even fall victim to mind-controlling fungi that sprout from their heads, a macabre finale to their melodious lives. These dangers are ever-present in Arizona’s diverse ecosystems. The Southwestern United States, particularly Arizona, is a hotbed of cicada diversity, boasting an array of species ranging from the towering Southwestern giant floodplain cicada to the diminutive Beameria venosa, small enough to perch on a quarter. Arizona alone harbors over three dozen species, each contributing its unique voice to nature’s summer symphony. While their emergence this summer may be bothersome to Arizona residents, the cicadas’ rich diversity adds layers of complexity and beauty to the already vibrant soundscape of the Arizona desert.
