Sun, 03 May 2026 21:39:47 +0000

You Won’t Believe How Long These Quiet Cicadas Actually Live! When most people think of cicadas, images of loud, screaming males filling the air with shrill calls come to mind. But what if we told you that some cicadas don’t just sing—they live for decades in silence? It sounds unbelievable, but new research reveals the astonishing longevity of certain quiet cicada species, shaking long-held assumptions about these often-misunderstood insects. ### The Quiet Truth: Cicadas Beyond the Scream Unlike their noisy relatives, known as periodical cicadas (like the famous 13- or 17-year species), not all cicadas burst into cacophonous mating displays. Some species—especially those in tropical and subtropical regions—live in a more low-key, long-lived mode of existence. These “quiet cicadas” aren’t silent in the way people expect; instead, they endure extended underground larval stages, sometimes 17 years or longer, before emerging to live only a few weeks above ground.