Alien Skin by Chipka
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Description
Their infancy is the very definition of darkness and silence. Their adult lives are the voice of summer. Though cicadas are not the most vigorous of insects, their voices used only to attract mates, are loud and piercing: like overcharged electrical machines set to cryptic and arcane purposes. They—like crickets and other stridulant creatures—are the perfect thermometers: a day’s heat can be judged by the insect songs that you hear. The warmer the temperatures, the more complicated their songs.
As infants, cicadas are wingless versions of themselves: nymphs endowed with pincer-claws used for grasping roots. They are diggers, root eaters, and meticulous in their movements. As adults, they are trade their claws for wings, and mouth-parts that no longer function. As adults, their only purpose is reproduction.
They emerge in great numbers and climb trees, stalks, and stone so that they may molt. They shed their infant’s skin, made brittle by sunlight and open air. The process is a slow one, possibly hastened by the sun’s warmth, though I am uncertain of this. At any rate, their infant’s skin splits down the back, like a diver’s wet-suit unzipping of its own accord. They breathe deeply, flexing their abdomens until the zip-seams widen. Their wings emerge. Their rotund, rear-pointing bellies heave into the light of day. Their backs and their heads thrust upward, and at last, they step from their cast-off skins, pulling their legs out of bristled, dirt-clotted stockings as brittle as a dead leaf. They leave their claws behind, and their mouth-parts—though workable to a degree—stretch from face to belly, in a manner that recalls stingers (or straws) adding extra support to their undersides.
In many ways, cicadas are alien beings. Their lives and the cycles of their emergence are dictated by strange mathematics. They are harmless enough, and defenseless; their sheer numbers are their survival strategy—a necessary thing, one must suppose, as they’re tasty to the things that hunt them. Humans exist on this hunter’s list, and roasted cicada—I’ve been told—is sweet and nutty in taste.
It isn’t my habit to eat such a creature. Squeamishness isn’t the reason. Instead, my affection for them precludes any dietary adventures. I will photograph them, however; and watch, for hours as they shed their skins or bask (as adults) in leaf-dappled sunlight. Like woodlice, they are an enticement to future homes in far away places, but unlike woodlice, their range is limited. There are places where I may live that are devoid of annual cicadas. They are here, in Chicago, and so Chicago is a degree more tolerable than it would be without them.
As always, thank you for viewing, and reading, and commenting, and I hope you’re having a great, and not-too-overheated weekend.
Comments (27)
beachzz
I never knew what a cicada looked like till now--I hear them and their voices tell me I'm at the river, sunrning and swimming and warming my fog bound body. You always bring anothe dimension to the most common of creatures, make them far more real and acceptable, I mean, woodlice and cicadas--who ever gives them a second, or even first glance???
NefariousDrO
Hey, we were just talking about cicadas earlier today, and here you've gone and posted one! That's such a cool shot, too. I love how the light shines through the empty husk that once held a living creature. As a child I was fascinated, and a bit disturbed, by these strange husks of a creature that seemed complete, yet empty. I didn't understand until later what happened to them, but it all seemed magical and strange to myself as a young child.
MrGorf
That is an interesting story about the lives of cicadas. Thanks for sharing! I hear them all the time in the summer, but rarely see them. You must mention that they are the loudest critters relative to their size, and perhaps among the loudest animals on earth. It's fortunate that their call is relatively pleasant. I enjoy listening to them on summer evenings.
danapommet
Amazing find and capture Chip. As always, informative narrative. Dana
MrsRatbag
Wow, they really do look alien and prehistoric! Great shot!
blinkings
Great shot. They are deafening around here in the summer.
MrsLubner
One of the things I miss about sultry south Texas is listening to the cicadas singing. Their shells stuck to trees, fences...and the rise and fall of their voices. Marvelous shot.
kgb224
Stunning capture of this cicada. Here is some information of the cicada of South Africa.http://www.bushveldtrainingadventures.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=36&Itemid=67 The closes i came to cicada is by hearing them. I will have to search for them and photograph them.
aksirp
yes, so many strangers between us, and we dont understand them...:) wonderful picture from good angle!!
durleybeachbum
A truly magical picture, Chip! Your writing about it is so much richer than a factual entry in an insect book, and I loved the romantic feel to it! We don't have them here, of course.
lick.a.witch
These are fascinating creatures, like the Weta's of NZ, or the Preying Mantis. The image is the best, but 'tis your blurb which adds the final touch. You paint such a wonderful picture with your descriptive talents, one can 'see' the picture even if it were not there! Fabulous! ^=^
sawade
Hi Chip, very interestant picture. I have never seen and heard such an insect. So I looked in Wikipedia and - uuups, there I could hear a cicada. It sounds as scrubbing a washboard, (interestant for electronic music, smile), thankyou for the well done teaching in biology, it was funny and much to learn, all the best from the sunny düsseldorf Bernd
SIGMAWORLD
Sehr interessantes Foto.
helanker
OH WOW ! That was interesting information, Chip and a really excellent shot too. Thank you :-)
jac204
Very interesting. I used to see empty skins that looked like that still clinging to the tree, but never knew what they were.
flavia49
wonderful!
jmb007
bonne photo!
sandra46
outstanding photo and the presentation is really awesome!
auntietk
Thanks for this bit of information! We don't have them here, and I've never heard one in person. Cool stuff!
bmac62
Oh, I've heard these guys "singing" every summer's night while living in Kansas for 31 years. Like the way they leave their suits of armor just hanging around when they are done with them. We had a dog who liked to eat them once...pretty rough on the tummy:)
minos_6
Great piece of contextual narrative to accompany a truly compelling capture. I really don't know how you find so many excellent subjects for your macros (please don't tell me you look for them, I do sort of realise that, but there is also an element of good fortune I'm sure, in addition to a photographer's patience!).
ragouc
Very good close up
lucindawind
awesome shot .. always in August you hear them and I love the sound..they are aliens for sure :)
tennesseecowgirl
I get these in my yard, growing up out west (california) we didn't have these so when I first saw them they sure freaked me out and they still do, and oh yeah that pleasant noise they make..
kbrog
Excellent macro! I've never seen one of these before.
MagikUnicorn
Gorgeous shot of this little guy :) I would like to know your opinion about my new camera...(see my latest post)
praep
Very nice - looks like some creature from a horror movie.