Ask A Scientist© Zoology Archive

name       Susan
status     other
age        5

Question - I'm a stay at home mom and yesterday, while with my three
year old son, we heard locusts up in the trees. It was the first time in
his life he had heard this sound and it really startled him! In order to
alleviate his fears, I attempted to explain what I knew about locusts,
which was of course, not much. I told him what they were and that they
made loud sounds, they were benign to people, and they left crunchy outer
shells stuck to trees when they died, but that is the extent of my very
limited knowledge. I told him we would try and find out why and how they
make such a loud noise and get any other general (in 3 year old terms)
information that may help him be less afraid. Can you please help?


Here are some web sites that can give you some interesting information
about cicadas:

http://www.entoprise.com/answers/cicada_page.shtml
http://encarta.msn.com/find/Concise.asp?ti=068A0000
http://www.insects.org/ced3/cicada_chfolk.html
http://insects.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/fauna/Michigan_Cicadas/

Richard E. Barrans Jr., Ph.D.
Assistant Director
PG Research Foundation, Darien, Illinois 
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