Cicadas abuzz in the Kruger
It is that time of year again when cicadas are humming in high pitches around the Letaba Rest Camp in the Kruger National Park. Cicadas are harmless and attracted to light.
The Kruger National Park (KNP) management has recently said the Letaba Rest Camp is experiencing an outburst of cicadas, and those visiting the camp can expect a powerful hum from these insects.
According to a statement, the sounds vary widely, with some species more musical than others.
KNP spokesperson Isaac Phaahla said cicadas are known to entirely disappear for many years, only to reappear in force at a regular interval.
“Their abundance can be triggered by the temperature, humidity and rainfall the area receives at certain periods. Although harmless, the insects are attracted to light, and we advise guests to keep their unit doors closed in the evenings as well as keeping the veranda lights off where possible,” he said.
State vet Dr Piet Kieviet also provided some interesting facts about cicadas, saying that some years there are more cicadas than in others.
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He said there was an influx of them in 2016, in 2020, and again this year. “It could be an anti-predator mechanism so that the predators don’t evolve and feed exclusively on the cicadas when they do come out.”
Kieviet said the noise is made by males attracting females. “Their abdomens are mostly hollow and is used as an amplifier. The adults do not feed that much. They mostly come out to sing and mate and lay their eggs.”
He said cicadas live about two months as adults, however, as larvae, they burrow down into the roots of trees where they can stay anywhere between two to 17 years.
“They have a very long larval stage,” he said.
Cicadas are very nutritious and lots of animals such as genets, bush babies and some birds enjoy feasting on them.
