cicada

A distinctive sound of late summer is the cry of the male cicada bug.  It  reminds me of camping, as a child, and my dad shushing us to listen to this insect.

This cicada had just clambered out of its skin and was waiting for its wings to dry before flying off.  It was on the children's playset where they could watch the process.

According to Wikipedia there are 2500 different species of Cicadas.  In north America the Magicicada is the most numerous. 

The adult female will lay her eggs in a slit in the tree bark.  When the eggs hatch they drop to the ground and burrow 30 cm to 2.5 meters into the soil.  The nymphs can stay there for 13 - 17 years before finally digging their way to the surface.  They will climb onto a limb and shed their skins for a final last time.  The male will bellow out his mating song, attract a female, and start the life cycle all over again.