Cicada Emerges From Its Exoskeleton After 7 Years: SNAPPED IN THE WILD

Photographer Brad Leue captured a time-lapse video of a cicada shedding its exoskeleton in Western Australia. The process took nearly two hours and involved around 3,500 photos. The cicada, Cyclochila australasiae, known as the green grocer, spends seven years underground before emerging to shed its skin. As the wet season approaches, cicadas fill the air with their song, and their exoskeletons are found everywhere. After shedding, the cicada's wings expand and dry, allowing it to fly. It lives for six more weeks to mate and produce the next generation, which will remain underground for another seven years.

What technique did Brad Leue use to capture the cicada shedding its exoskeleton?

• Slow-motion video

• Time-lapse photography

• Stop-motion animation

• High-speed photography

How long does the cicada Cyclochila australasiae live underground before emerging?

• Seven years

• Five years

• Nine years

• Three years

What is the common name for the cicada species Cyclochila australasiae?

• Blue moon

• Green grocer

• Yellow jacket

• Redback

Where can discarded cicada exoskeletons be commonly found during the wet season in Australia?

• On sandy beaches

• In underground burrows

• On tree trunks and walls

• In freshwater ponds

After shedding its exoskeleton, how long does a cicada live to complete its life cycle?

• Eight weeks

• Two weeks

• Six weeks

• Four weeks