When I saw this picture, it took my breath away. I mean, just look at that beautiful locust! It is a work of art! And the sound they make! Don't get me started!

That's a beautiful picture but I'd like to point out that it's not a locust, rather a cicada. A relatively unrelated insect that happened to be my favorite as a child. We'd have our trees in the yard covered with their discarded exoskeletons left from molting after they came out of the ground. Great blog though!

That is by far the most stunning picture I have ever seen!!! But I do feel obligated to inform you that the beautiful creature you captured on film is not a cicada, rather it is a rare species, a form of Sicilian Cockroach which was referred to in the Puerto Rican gangster film starring Al Pacino, "Scarface".

Well, this looks like what the people here in Jackson County KY call a "Jar Fly", very different from a cicada or a locust. Just thought I would share that with you nature lovers.

From Kentucky and Illinois, yep it is indeed a jar fly, neither a cicada nor a locust, but does make the same sound! Quite harmless and sooooo much fun to play with!

I have seen 3 of these guys in my yard in Houston, Texas within the past month. I thought they were Cicadas, but now I'm confused. Are these the same critters that leave their shells everywhere? I thought the shells were from locusts. And are locusts and Cicadas the same thing? Thanks for the info.

Cicadas come in a variety of shapes, sizes and eye ball shapes. My opinion is this is in fact a cicada.

This is a cicada. Some confusion may occur because of the fact that in the South the common name is tree locust. Most people are aware, I think, that it's not a true locust, which is a grasshopper-like insect.