Missouri Animals Scissor-grinder cicada   (Tibicen pruinosa) Arthropoda: Insecta: Homoptera Native North American insect Habitat: forest, woodland, savanna Diet: root sap as larvae ID Features: unique call Natural History: The Scissor-grinder cicada begins its life as an egg on the branch of a tree. After hatching, the larvae fall to the ground, burrow into the soil, and spend the rest of summer, winter, and the following spring in the soil feeding on root sap. In the summer, they crawl to the surface and undergo metamorphosis. With their new wings, they find mates and lay eggs to restart their life cycle.

The graphics, text, and sound are from: Singing Insects of Missouri, Missouri Department of Conservation, ©1998.