Question 1

True or false: Cicadas are completely harmless to humans—they don't bite, sting, or carry diseases.

Accepted Answer

True. Cicadas have no mouthparts for biting or stinging; they feed on plant sap and pose zero threat to people.

Question 2

True or false: Cicadas can fly, but they are clumsy and often crash into objects or people.

Accepted Answer

True. Their large wings make them poor fliers; they frequently bump into trees, cars, and even pedestrians.

Question 3

True or false: All cicada species emerge from the ground only once every 13 or 17 years.

Accepted Answer

False. Only periodical cicadas follow prime-year cycles; annual cicadas emerge every year, though their broods overlap.

Question 4

True or false: Male cicadas produce their loud mating calls by rubbing their hind legs together.

Accepted Answer

False. Cicadas produce sound using specialized membranes called tymbals on their abdomen, not by rubbing legs.

Question 5

True or false: Cicadas are a type of locust, belonging to the grasshopper family.

Accepted Answer

False. Cicadas are not locusts; they belong to the order Hemiptera (true bugs), while locusts are grasshoppers in Orthoptera.

Question 6

True or false: Cicada nymphs have been found alive after being buried under volcanic ash for decades.

Accepted Answer

True. In 2019, researchers found viable cicada nymphs 50 years after Mount St. Helens eruption, surviving on tree roots.

Question 7

True or false: Some cicada species secrete a waxy substance that can be used to make waterproof varnish.

Accepted Answer

True. Cicada wings are coated with a hydrophobic wax that repels water, inspiring biomimetic waterproof coatings.

Question 8

True or false: Cicadas have the longest insect life cycle of any known species.

Accepted Answer

False. Some periodical cicadas live 17 years underground, but certain queen termites can live over 50 years.

Cicada Trivia Questions