Dog-day Cicadas - Nymph and Imago - Neotibicen canicularis
Today's post will feature a lot of repeated information, however notable. Nevertheless, the verdant Cicadas of High Park were in full force this year, and I count myself lucky to have witnessed them undergoing their metamorphosis. In 2026 and onward, I'll aim to take more time and sit with them longer, hopefully getting the chance to witness more individuals leaving their nymphal exoskeletons, emerging as soft and desaturated imagines (the plural of "imago" or insect adult) onto the surfaces they grab onto. If this is something that interests you as well, prepare for a hot day, and pay close attention to any trees and stones you pass. There just might be Cicadas molting on them, especially if there are perfectly rounded and deep holes near them. As for today's specimens, we have close-ups of two individuals at different stages of shedding into adulthood, and one fully-developed adult with full color and wings extended and hardened for flight around the wilderness. One of the former individuals was previously seen in a video here whereby it was clawing away for the perfect spot to adhere during molting. And as it turns out, that is an incredibly tense position to be in.
Being cognizant of just how many animals within a forest (even a managed one) consider Cicadas convenient prey due to their plump size, lack of defenses, clumsy flight and nutritional content has been quite eye-opening this year. Even squirrels and raccoons will eat Cicadas in all forms if the opportunity arises, which is to say nothing of predatory insects needed to satiate their diet. At least the Cicada population rapidly increases during the summer, which so many individuals emerging that a good amount of them survive, allowing the population to continue (and there are plenty more individuals growing underground). As well, once a Cicada gains its wings, it has some power to escape being hunted. However, as I learned this year, these Cicadas are lucky to remain undetected as they molt and navigate their environment, as there is one predatory insect of substantial size which also calls High Park home that specializes in Cicada hunting, and they aren't daunted to seize them even in midair! It may sound brutal to lose a defenseless insect to a strong hunter, but the Cicadas do not fear them (they aren't even aware), and it's all a part of the greater ecosystem. While Cicadas are defenseless, a titanic swarm of them feeding unchecked could prove too much for the trees they occupy. I will aim to share an interaction between hunter and Cicada can be shared properly (in photos, rather than just my eyes) in the coming years.
Pictures were taken on August 3, 2025 in High Park with a Google Pixel 8a.
