🪰 Magicicada septendecim

Common Name: Pharaoh Cicada / 17-Year Cicada

Region: Canada & United States

Appearance: Black body with bright red eyes and red-veined transparent wings. The underside is marked with bold orange stripes.

Size: 30–40 mm (1.2–1.6 inches)

Habitat: Deciduous forests, parks, and suburban areas

Behavior: Synchronized mass emergence every 17 years, forming dense, noisy broods

Feeding: Nymphs drink xylem sap from roots; adults feed on tree fluids

Taxonomy: Family Cicadidae | Genus Magicicada

Life Cycle: 17 years underground; brief adult emergence for mating and egg-laying

Call: Male song resembles “Pharaoh” or rising “weeeee-whoa” sound

Historical Records: Observed since 1715—documented by Benjamin Franklin and others