What's all that noise?

Visitors to Amelia Island this summer, and especially the last couple of weeks, have heard loud sounds resonating all around the woods. Who's responsible? A 1.5-3" insect - the cicada. Actually, a whole lot of them! Often called locusts, these are actually from a different family that don't jump like grasshoppers or crickets.
They have membranous wings and males make sounds using organs below the base of the abdomen. They are sometimes seen emerging or flying from empty nymphal skins after the large adults have emerged. Each species has its own buzz or a pulsating clacking sound. Some species have life cycles of 13 or 17 years, but more commonly the nymphal period is 1-3 years.
One things for sure - as long as you can hear you can't miss them!