No Wonder Cicadas Scream So Much :
I came across the linked article by searching online whether people think cicadas are louder this year than other years. I think they are ..
What I found however showcases the reasons they scream in terror when the sun goes down..
By joining their voices, male cicadas reach a volume that repels birds on the prowl for their next meal.
But escaping death-by-bird only sets cicadas up for a far worse fate. The bugs are also hunted by the cicada killer wasp, which, frankly, sounds like a sociopath.
If you’ve ever seen a cicada carried off by the Hannibal Lecter of the wasp family, thank your lucky stars you’re human, because what happens next is the stuff of nightmares.
After delivering a paralyzing sting, female cicada-killers drag their immobilized prey to an underground chamber of horrors.
The cicada is placed in a torture cell, where the wasp lays an egg on it. When a larva hatches from the egg, it immediately begins feasting on the cicada.
Horrific to say the least. The Hannibal Lector comparison hit the nail for me..
