belong to the insect order Homoptera which also includes aphids,
scale insects, mealy bugs, leafhoppers, and many other insects.
All insects in Homoptera have piercing and sucking mouthparts
and all members are plant-feeders who use their mouthparts to
suck fluids from plants. Note that many scientists and books
place cicadas in the insect order Hemiptera instead of
Homoptera. In fact, many entomologists have eliminated Homoptera
as an order and have placed all of its members within Hemiptera.
We have chosen to use Homoptera on this website because many of
the identification guides used by Kentucky 4-Hers use Homoptera.
However they are classified, all members of Homoptera and
Hemiptera are believed to be closely related. There are several
species of cicadas in Kentucky. The most commonly encountered
Kentucky cicadas are fairly large (bodies about 1" long), stout-
bodied insects with two pairs of transparent wings. Most have
black or green coloration. Adult and nymph body length up to
about 1" long Cicadas go