CICADA HANDBOOK

Discover the extraordinary world of cicadas and explore one of nature’s most fascinating insect life cycles—from underground nymph to powerful, singing adult.

CICADA HANDBOOK is a practical and comprehensive guide to cicada species, identification, life cycles, behavior, enclosures, feeding, molting, breeding, nymph development, health, and responsible keeping. Written for beginners, insect enthusiasts, educators, naturalists, and experienced invertebrate keepers, Raphael Hartley provides accessible information for understanding these remarkable insects both in captivity and in their natural environments.

Cicadas are famous for their unmistakable songs and spectacular seasonal appearances, but their biology extends far beyond the adult insects seen above ground. Much of a cicada’s life is spent hidden beneath the soil, where developing nymphs feed on plant fluids and progress through multiple stages before emerging for their final molt. Understanding this unusual development is essential for anyone interested in observing or keeping cicadas responsibly.

Inside this handbook, you’ll discover:

• Cicada classification, anatomy, identification, diversity, and natural distribution
• Differences between annual and periodical cicadas and how their life cycles work
• Understanding cicada songs, communication, mating behavior, activity patterns, and predator avoidance
• How cicada nymphs live underground and develop before emergence
• The remarkable emergence process and transformation from nymph to winged adult
• Understanding molting, expansion of the wings, hardening of the exoskeleton, and adult maturation
• Important considerations before attempting to keep cicadas in captivity
• How to create appropriate temporary enclosures with suitable ventilation, climbing surfaces, vegetation, and environmental conditions
• Feeding biology and the importance of living plants to cicada nutrition
• Temperature, humidity, light, and other environmental factors affecting activity and welfare
• Safe observation and handling practices that minimize unnecessary stress or injury
• How to recognize normal development, behavior, and physical condition
• Potential husbandry problems, injuries, failed molts, dehydration, and other health concerns
• Cicada courtship, mating, egg laying, and reproductive behavior
• Egg development, hatching, early nymph stages, and the challenges of maintaining developing cicadas
• Why completing the entire cicada life cycle in captivity can be difficult and requires specialized planning
• Enclosure hygiene, monitoring, record keeping, and responsible population management
• Ethical collecting and the importance of protecting wild populations and their habitats
• Responsible release considerations and why insects should never be moved or released where doing so could create ecological or legal problems
• Conservation, citizen science, photography, observation, and other ways to appreciate cicadas without removing them from nature

CICADA HANDBOOK emphasizes that successful keeping begins with understanding natural biology. Cicadas are not typical captive insects, and their close relationship with living plants, specialized feeding habits, underground development, and sometimes lengthy life cycles can make long-term captive management challenging.

The book therefore combines practical keeping information with responsible observation and conservation. Readers are encouraged to check applicable wildlife regulations, avoid unnecessary collection, protect habitat, and recognize when studying cicadas in nature may provide a better experience than attempting permanent captivity.

Whether you have discovered cicadas in your garden, want to understand a major emergence, are interested in insect keeping and breeding, or simply want to explore their mysterious underground lives, CICADA HANDBOOK provides a valuable foundation.