What kind of animal is the golden cicada? Is it harmful to plants?

1. What kind of animal is the golden cicada?

The golden cicada is an insect of the family Cicadidae in the order Insecta. It is an insect with incomplete metamorphosis and is not an animal. Its growth and development goes through three stages: egg, nymph and adult. Mating usually begins in late July and female insects begin laying eggs. The eggs will begin to hatch in June each year, and the nymphs will fall to the ground and burrow into the soil. It will take three to five years for the nymphs to drill out of the ground, crawl onto trees, and eventually stop on the bark and emerge as adults.

2. Is it harmful to plants?

The cicada is a parasite on the roots of plants. It sucks the sap from the roots, which is harmful to the plants. During its growth and development stage, especially when laying eggs, it will insert the ovipositor into the wood part of the branch, creating a hole. Many small holes will be formed on the branch, so that the upper part of the branch cannot absorb water and nutrients, and the branch will die over time.

3. Main Value

Although cicadas are harmful to plants to a certain extent, they are considered agricultural and forestry pests. But there is also a good side. It has a relatively high nutritional value and contains a variety of nutrients needed by the human body, such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamins, trace elements, etc., and has a very high edible value. In addition, it has certain medicinal value. It contains fatty acids and amino acids. Eating it can lower cholesterol, improve endocrine, and prevent cardiovascular diseases.