Questão 2

(UFU - 2021 - MEDICINA)

Every 17 years, portions of the central, eastern and southern U.S. see a massive emergence of "periodical" cicadas. The largest of the many generations of cicadas, Brood X, will surface in May, creating a monstrous cacophony. It depends on the weather and latitude in the U.S. Ground temperatures trigger when the cicadas will come out. The cicadas rise up over a two-week period after the soil temperature has reached 65 degrees.Brood X is one of the largest and most broadly distribut ed groups of periodical cicadas. They can be found from northern Georgia to New York, west to the Mississippi River and in the Midwest. There can be as many as 1.5 million cicadas per acre, which brings the brood population into the trillions. Their lifespan is four to six weeks, and they will start to die off in late June into July. Some species show up every summer.

Unlike greenish, annual cicadas, periodical cicadas are known for their black bodies, clear wings and bold red eyes. They breathe through 10 pairs of spiracles, two of which are on the thorax; eight are on the abdomen. The antennae are short and bristly. They’re 1 to 2 inches long with a wingspan of 3 to 4 inches. Periodical cicadas are known for their earsplitting sounds, which are produced by the male of the species to attract females. Male cicadas contract ridged membranes on their abdomens to make the sound, which is amplified by their almost-hollow abdomens. Each species has its own sound, and the chorus can reach 90 to 100 decibels – as loud as a lawn mower.

The cicada has the longest life cycle of any insect. Periodical cicadas from Brood X have lived underground in wingless nymph form since 2004, about a foot or two down, feeding on sap from tree roots. Once they're mature, the brood will emerge, where they'll spend two to four weeks in late May and early June courting, mating, flying, driving people crazy and being eaten by everything. The adults will then lay their eggs in trees, which will hatch four to six weeks later.

Based on the text,

A) list at least five aspects that characterize a Brood X cicada.

B) describe the life cycle of a Brood X cicada.