After seeing Jim's (jimbobedsel) amazing shots of the Cicada I decided to be on the lookout for some around here. I have found many empty shells but this morning caught this one "Breaking Out" I took many shots and many did not turn out but hopefully enough to show the process.

Here is a bit of info on these unique but Alien looking creatures:

But even more amazingly, cicadas achieve such success despite their reliance on a nutrient-poor diet. Most species of cicada spend most of their lives (from two to 17 years) underground before emerging en masse at regular intervals. While underground, cicadas feed solely on the sap of plant roots, which is the most nutrient-poor and unbalanced part of plants. So how do cicadas gather the nutrients they need to survive, despite their low-nutrient diet? McCutcheon says that cicadas supplement their diet by maintaining complicated relationships with two species of specialized bacteria that live inside their cells. The bacteria produce essential nutrients for the cicadas that the animals neither receive from their sap diets nor produce themselves.

If I remember right someone told Jim they were locusts. I looked it up and locusts are more like grasshoppers.

I found this amazing to shoot and watched him emerge and be on his own from the shell. Now is working his way up the Maple tree slowly and independent of his shell.

Thanks for the views, and comments.

Paul - I remembered wrong then and sorry about that my good friend.

I do appreciate the views and comments. Thank you!

♪ ♫ :)sandi♪ =^..^=