this post was submitted on 11 Aug 2023
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What is this thing?

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Found in Massachusetts backyard this evening.

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[–] Rainy1719 25 points 1 year ago

It's a cicada nymph shell. Not sure what species but since you said you're in Massachusetts it's might be "Dog Day" Cicada (Tibicen linnei) since it's the most common cicada found there.

[–] Confused_Emus 17 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Cicadas are really pretty if you see one soon after molting. They’ve got beautiful metallic greens and blues.

[–] LazlowsBAWSAQ 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Me too! They look so cool! And they're so big, you can really see all their detail. And they're super chill

[–] canthidium 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

What? Not the ones in Louisiana. They are super loud and fly into everything. When I was in college, there would be tons of them all over, many stuck upside down on the ground trying to turn over.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I think those were June bugs. Not sure if they are a type of cicada

[–] canthidium 2 points 1 year ago

I don't think so, exact same as OP's photos. They're huge, with big wings

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Oh, no, those are very different. Much smaller and shinier, for one

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago
[–] pozbo 4 points 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Looks like it's from a cicada

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

cicada! We get them a lot in Florida. Always saved the shells any time I found them.