March of the Zombie Cicada Army
In March of the Zombie Cicada Army, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes more than a billion insects emerging after 17 years underground. Your skin might crawl as you watch the cicadas take over the forest, morph into adult form, and become prey to eager predators. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Lesson Express
Q: Describe the different forms in the cicada life cycle.
A: They emerge from the ground as crawling nymphs; they shed their external skeleton and become winged adults; they transform from white and soft to brown and hard; they mate and lay eggs; then they die.
Q: What do you think of the cicadas becoming prey to other animals?
A: Student responses will vary. Students may mention that it’s sad they have no defenses or that it’s good that the predators control the large population.
Q: How does the emergence of the cicadas impact other living things?
A: They provide food for many predators; they nourish the plants by becoming natural fertilizer.