Insider Blog: Differences in cicadas and locusts

A swarm of cicadas has arrived along with the heat and humidity as periodical broods emerged from the ground for the summer. You may also hear these bugs referred to as locusts due to some similarities between the two. But there are also a lot of big differences that might make you more grateful those cicadas are not actually a swarm of locusts.

Before proper naming convention, cicadas were misnamed because of their loud noises and emergence as a swarm. This resembles the characteristics of locusts but a cicada swarm is nothing compared to what locusts can do. Cicadas are generally harmless as they don't typically bite and cannot sting. They only emerge for weeks to a few months bringing loud buzzing sounds.

Locusts are more infamous for their destructive swarms and plagues, which have been recorded since biblical times. A locust is a grasshopper that congregates in dense swarms and changes its body appearance as a result. Locust swarms grow quickly while consuming resources and leave destruction in their wake.

Luckily North America is the only continent without locusts, though we are also the only place with periodical cicadas. Between the two, cicadas are a much better bug for the environment even with their annoying buzz.