What Does 'Cicada' Mean? 7 Fun Facts About These Creepy Critters

If you live in the northeastern United States, you are undoubtedly experiencing a cicada invasion this month! “Brood X”—with their chubby black bodies, big red eyes, and translucent wings—are covering the ground from Georgia to New Jersey, and as far west as Indiana.

With that in mind, today we’re sharing a few fun facts about the language of cicadas.

1. 'Cicada' is a Latin word meaning 'tree cricket'

That word first appeared in the 14th century and has existed unchanged ever since. However, cicadas aren't actually crickets! Cicadas belong to the insect order Homoptera; crickets belong to Orthoptera. “Homoptera” is a mashup of the Greek words for “same” and “wing.” In other words, the wings of cicada look the same from the base to the tip—clear and lacy all the way down. This is opposed to Heteroptera insects, whose wings are leathery at the bottom but quite thin at the top. 

2. Cicadas are not crickets, but they are also not locusts!

Nonetheless, many people call periodical cicadas “17-year locusts” or “13-year locusts.” In fact, Bob Dylan’s song “The Day of the Locusts” was inspired by his hearing cicadas in the grounds outside Princeton University, where he was receiving an honorary degree. Here’s part of his song:

And the locusts sang off in the distance

Yeah, the locusts sang such a sweet melody

Oh, the locusts sang off in the distance

Yeah, the locusts sang and they were singin' for me

Those cicadas, which emerged in 1970, were the direct ancestors of the 2021 brood we hear today! They’ve emerged every 17 years since 1970, appearing in 1987, 2004, and now in 2021. 

3. These periodical cicada belong to the lyrically named genus Magicicada

This pairs the Greek word mágos, meaning “magician,” with the Latin word “cicada.”

According to Greek mythology, cicadas used to be music-loving men. They were so taken up with singing that they forgot to eat and died. To honor them, the Muses turned them into insects who would sing continuously, without food or drink, from the moment of their birth to the moment of their death. Once they died, the cicada-men would report back to the Muses, letting them know which  people of the earth have honored the various Muses—and which have not.

By the way, the genus Magicicada includes seven different species, all with their own delightful names, from Magicicada sependecim to Magicicada cassini. (“Sependecim” means “seventeen”; “cassini” is...

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