Cicada Intelligent Design
by Owen Borville
August 10, 2020
Biology
Over 2,500 species of cicadas exist. Some cicadas are annual, and appear every summer throughout the world. The periodical cicadas, however, are unique to North America and come out every 13 years or some come out every 17 years only in the Eastern United States. Billions of cicadas exist, and more than one million cicadas can be found on a single acre of land. Female cicadas lay eggs in trees, and when the eggs hatch the larvae fall to the ground and burrow in the ground for up to 17 year periods. These cicadas spend most of their lives in the ground, growing and developing from larvae to adults in the ground while drinking the liquids of plant roots. They also shed their skin before becoming an adult. The cicada life cycle consists of egg, nymph, and adult. Females can lay up to 400 eggs in the trees. Cicadas can damage young trees by drinking the sap of tree roots, and plant parts, while also laying eggs in them. Adult periodic cicadas mate, lay eggs, and die, while the eggs hatch and enter the ground for another 13 to 17 year cycle.
Unique Anatomy
Like all insects, cicadas have a head, thorax, six legs, and an abdomen. They also have transparent wings, antennae, and a thick body. They breathe through 10 pairs of spiracles on their body. Cicadas have five eyes: two big red compound eyes and three smaller eyes called ocelli in between the two larger eyes, that help detect light and darkness. Most cicadas have red eyes, but some have eyes of other colors. Cicadas are about one and a half inches long and harmless.
The males and females have different morphology and different body parts, so this is also difficult to explain with evolutionist ideas. Male and female cicadas can be distinguished by the shape of their abdomen, as the female abdomen is longer and comes to a point on the end. The male abdomen is shorter. Other body parts in male and female are also different, including the sternite, tymbal, valvulae, and ovipositor.
Synchronized Emergence
How do the 13 or 17-year cicadas know when this time frame has passed and all of them emerge at the same time?
Cicadas only mate once, which makes the 17-year period even more remarkable. The cicadas must all emerge from the ground after 17 years at the same time period and same location to mate or there will not be any offspring. The cicadas emerge from the ground synchronously and in great numbers. When the cicadas emerge, they are active for about 4 to 6 weeks. After this, the cicadas disappear for another 13 to 17 years.
Temperature and Mating Call
The cicadas always emerge from the ground when the temperature is exactly 64 degrees. How do they know when it is 64 degrees? Somehow they do. The males emerge first and make loud mating calls while the females do not make noises. Each variety of cicada has a unique mating call, which is made in the abdomen of the cicada as parts vibrate or click together and is magnified by an echo chamber. The cicada mating call is one of the loudest of all insects, up to 120 decibels. The sound is also magnified by the large number of cicadas in a single location. The males also make different calls for different reasons.
by Owen Borville
August 10, 2020
Biology
Over 2,500 species of cicadas exist. Some cicadas are annual, and appear every summer throughout the world. The periodical cicadas, however, are unique to North America and come out every 13 years or some come out every 17 years only in the Eastern United States. Billions of cicadas exist, and more than one million cicadas can be found on a single acre of land. Female cicadas lay eggs in trees, and when the eggs hatch the larvae fall to the ground and burrow in the ground for up to 17 year periods. These cicadas spend most of their lives in the ground, growing and developing from larvae to adults in the ground while drinking the liquids of plant roots. They also shed their skin before becoming an adult. The cicada life cycle consists of egg, nymph, and adult. Females can lay up to 400 eggs in the trees. Cicadas can damage young trees by drinking the sap of tree roots, and plant parts, while also laying eggs in them. Adult periodic cicadas mate, lay eggs, and die, while the eggs hatch and enter the ground for another 13 to 17 year cycle.
Unique Anatomy
Like all insects, cicadas have a head, thorax, six legs, and an abdomen. They also have transparent wings, antennae, and a thick body. They breathe through 10 pairs of spiracles on their body. Cicadas have five eyes: two big red compound eyes and three smaller eyes called ocelli in between the two larger eyes, that help detect light and darkness. Most cicadas have red eyes, but some have eyes of other colors. Cicadas are about one and a half inches long and harmless.
The males and females have different morphology and different body parts, so this is also difficult to explain with evolutionist ideas. Male and female cicadas can be distinguished by the shape of their abdomen, as the female abdomen is longer and comes to a point on the end. The male abdomen is shorter. Other body parts in male and female are also different, including the sternite, tymbal, valvulae, and ovipositor.
Synchronized Emergence
How do the 13 or 17-year cicadas know when this time frame has passed and all of them emerge at the same time?
Cicadas only mate once, which makes the 17-year period even more remarkable. The cicadas must all emerge from the ground after 17 years at the same time period and same location to mate or there will not be any offspring. The cicadas emerge from the ground synchronously and in great numbers. When the cicadas emerge, they are active for about 4 to 6 weeks. After this, the cicadas disappear for another 13 to 17 years.
Temperature and Mating Call
The cicadas always emerge from the ground when the temperature is exactly 64 degrees. How do they know when it is 64 degrees? Somehow they do. The males emerge first and make loud mating calls while the females do not make noises. Each variety of cicada has a unique mating call, which is made in the abdomen of the cicada as parts vibrate or click together and is magnified by an echo chamber. The cicada mating call is one of the loudest of all insects, up to 120 decibels. The sound is also magnified by the large number of cicadas in a single location. The males also make different calls for different reasons.
