Question
I just move to south carolina and have heard noises in the trees that sound like crickets but we can't see any thing was wondering if you could tell me what kind of bug is it and why we can't see it
thank you

Answer
These are cicadas.
Cicadas are insects, best known for the sound made by the males of the species. The males make this sound by flexing their tymbals, which are drum-like organs found on their abdomens.

Cicadas belong to the order Hemiptera, suborder Homoptera and family Cicadidae. Leafhoppers, spittle bugs and jumping plant lice are close relatives of the cicada. Hemiptera are different from other insects in that both the nymph and adult forms have a beak, which they use to suck fluids called xylem from plants. This is how they both eat and drink.

The origin of the word cicada isn抰 100% clear however it appears to be based on the Latin word for cicada. This makes sense as there were certainly plenty of cicadas in the days of Rome. Cicadas are called semi in Japan, cigale in France, cigarra in Spain.

Different Varieties

There are over 100 species of cicada in North America, and over 2000 species around the world. Cicadas exist on every continent but Antarctica.

The largest cicada species of cicada is the Pomponia imperatoria, which is native to Malaysia.

According to the University of Florida Book of Insect Records, the Tibicen walkeri are the loudest cicadas, and can achieve 108.9 decibels.

In North America there are two main types of cicadas: periodical (which belong to the genus Magicicada) and annual. The Tibicen is the most common genus of annual cicada in North America.

Cicadas begin life as a rice-shaped egg, which the female deposits in a groove she makes in a tree limb. The groove provides shelter and exposes the tree fluids, which the young cicadas can feed on. These grooves can kill small branches. When the braches die and leaves turn brown, it is called flagging.

Once the egg hatches the cicada begins to feed on the tree fluids. At this point it looks like a termite or small white ant. Once the young cicada is ready, it crawls from the scratch and falls to the ground where it will dig until it finds a root to feed on. Once a root is found the cicada will stay underground for 2 ?17 years depending on the species.

After the long 2 ?17 years, cicadas emerge from the ground as nymphs. Nymphs climb the nearest available tree, and begin to shed their nymph exoskeleton. Free of their old skin, their wings can inflate with fluid and their new skin can harden. Once their new wings and body are ready, they can begin their brief adult life.

Adult cicadas, also called imagoes, spend their time in trees looking for a mate. Males sing, females respond, mating begins, and the cycle of life begins again.