Life Cycle of a Cicacda

Life Cycle of a Cicada

Gentle Cindy Book 30

© Melem Education, 2023, Sydney, Australia

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Life Cycle of a Cicada Word Count: 294

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Gentle Cindy

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Vocabulary Glossary cicada: A large, loud insect that can be found on all continents except Antarctica. hatchlings: A baby that has just hatched from its egg. jade: A shiny gemstone that is green in colour. life cycle: The series of changes in a creature’s life from the time they are born to the time they die.

Oz: Short for Australia. sap: Fluid that runs through plant stems. scales: In this book, it means to climb.

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Focus Words cell cicada cycle place as odd find too begin cycle

gel gem giant

Heart Words are her this which

egg for to years cicada unfold 4

u insects.

No Cicadas are such strange insects. cicada isNothecicada sameisasthe the same.

A cicada can be black, next. A cicada can be black, or it can be just like jade. or it can be just like jade.

Cicadas are giant insects.

Cicadas are giant insects.

cicada = cic + a + da (say sik + a + da) giant = gi + ant insects = in + sects

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When it gets hot, we can find cicadas in lots of spots.

Cicadas can be found on every continent, except Antarctica.

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A cicada has an odd life cycle.

cycle = cy + cle

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In Oz, a cicada can hide in a hole for 6 to 7 years as it gets big. It will not rise up into the sun for a long time.

In the USA, a cicada can hide in its hole for up to 17 years! into = in + to

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Baby nymph cicadas climb out of holes in the ground.

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When a cicada digs open its hole, it scales a trunk or clings to the bricks on a home.

But it is stuck in a shell.

It must crack open this shell, which acts like a cell – a cell that traps the cicada.

open = o + pen

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A baby cicada is called a nymph.

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The cicada cracks open the shell and begins to unfold as it clings on.

It unfolds giant wings and has a stretch. It pumps its legs, too. The cicada shines like a gem in the sun.

begins = be + gins unfolds = un + folds

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Then, the males begin to sing.

This helps them find a female.

He makes a hum, hum, hum in the sunshine. It is such a strong song!

female = fe + male sunshine = sun + shine

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But cicadas do not have a long life.

At the end of her life, a female drills holes into a plant stem. She makes a place to pop her eggs in the gel-like sap. Stem gel makes a safe place for her eggs.

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Drill holes made by the female.

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When the eggs hatch, the cicada hatchlings drop to the dust and dig a hole to hide in.

Hatchlings then munch on the gel-like sap of plants until it is time to pop up from the dust, just like the Mum and Dad cicada did.

hatchlings = hatch + lings

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And that is the odd life cycle of the cicada.

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Fun Facts Cicadas, on average, only live for a few weeks above ground. They live most of their lives as nymphs under the soil.

• Plant sap is all a cicada will eat.

• They are some of the loudest insects in the world. Only the males sing, by rubbing their tummy muscles together.

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