That’s a brand new, perfect cicada over ten years in the making! The 13- or 17-year lifespan of periodical cicadas is one of the longest of any insect, but only a tiny fraction of that time is spent above ground. The rest of a periodical cicada’s life is spent underground as a nymph feeding on liquid sucked from plant roots. Over their many years beneath the soil, the nymphs shed their exoskeletons, a process known as molting, five times. This one just emerged from the earth and got its wings! N

Wait for it ... billions of Brood X cicada nymphs are emerging from the ground in 15 states — a natural phenomenon that only occurs every 17 years. After feeding off tree roots for nearly two decades, the nymphs crawl out of the soil and climb trees and other vertical structures in search of a suitable place to shed their shells. Molting takes several hours. After it has emerged from its carapace, the cicada must wait several more hours for its body and wings to harden. *** In this time-lapse fo