Bulletin 6 - December 1978: Cicadas

Cicadas

The monotonous shrill hum familiar all over Abu Dhabi town in the hottest summer months is the work of Cicada plebeia, the commonest species in this area. It is almost black with pale yellow spots, covered with a whitish down, and grows to a length of four centimeters. The insect appears motionless, sitting on a twig or tree trunk, but the noise is produced by muscular vibrations in the stomach of the male. Eggs are laid in late summer and the larvae live underground until the following spring.