New research answers a long-standing question about cicadas, which emerge en masse after years underground.
New research appears to provide a long-sought answer about the mysterious cicadas that emerge after years in the ground: do they eat during the brief time they spend as adults before dying? The study found evidence of plant DNA in the guts of some adult cicadas, but not in the guts of those that freshly reached the surface, seemingly confirming that these cicadas will take time out of their packed schedules to grab a bite.
In hopes of better understanding periodical cicadas, researchers at the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service decided to try settling an enduring debate over the nature of their adulthood. “Despite a tentative scientific consensus to the contrary, the perception that adult Magicicada do not feed has persisted among the general public, and recent studies are lacking,” the authors wrote in their paper, published Wednesday in the Journal of Insect Science.
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