cicadidæ

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. A family of homopterous hemipterous insects; the cicadas proper: a group formerly of great extent, now restricted to forms closely related to the genus Cicada. As characterized by Westwood in 1840, the Cicadidæe have heavy subconical bodies, blunt head, prominent eyes, ridged epistoma, setiform antennæ socketed beneath the edge of the vertex, large mesothorax, scale-like metathorax, elliptical wing-covers of parchment-like consistency, short stout legs, bristly hind tibiæ and large fluted stridulating organs at the base of the abdomen. It is a widely distributed family, well represented in the United States. Some species, like the seventeen-year locust or periodical cicada, are noted for their length of life underground.