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Newly Metamorphosed Cicada

Posted by June 2nd, 2007 at 12:00 am

Categories

Cicadas

Unknown Bug
Evening,
We live on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. A few weeks ago we were camping along side a local river not to far out of town. Around 7:30 that evening I noticed this insect attached to a line on the tent. The insect had attached itself to the back of a wasp and was in the process of sucking the insides of the wasp out. The wasp was minus its wings. In the morning the hungry insect had departed and left the empty carcass of the wasp still attached to the tent line. Nothing left but a hollowed out shell. I unfortunately did not get a shot of what was left but I did get the one attached to this email. Any help in the identity of this bug would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks,
Chris Deakin
Victoria, BC, Canada

Hi Chris,
While your story is interesting, your observation of the occurance is not quite accurate. The pictured insect is a newly metamorphosed Cicada, and what you have mistaken for a meal is not a wasp but the shed skin of the larval Cicada. The photo is quite gorgeous.

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