BY VICKI LOVERN

It may not be music to our ears, but it is indeed the sweetest melody for the hundreds of thousands of cicadas that blend their unique sounds to create nature’s largest symphony. The cicadas, whose sole purpose in life is to reproduce, synchronize their mating calls in an often deafening but always perfect harmony.

The male cicadas make up the chorus, as the females do not make a sound. No doubt many men are thinking right now how lucky the male cicadas are! And though the cicadas may not croon quite as smoothly as Michael Bublé, they nevertheless are smooth enough to get the job done, which is attracting the female of their species and wooing them with their own special love song.

The female cicada is more subtle than the male and when she is ready to mate, she simply signals him with a few perfectly timed flicks of her wings. The wing flicks produce a high-frequency sound that only the males can hear, and thus the fascinating cicada courtship continues.

Nature never ceases to amaze, and with the cicadas, particularly so. It is all about synchronization, and nature orchestrates the cicada’s 17-year cycle exquisitely. Timing is everything. Since all the cicadas come out and mate at the same time and lay their eggs at the same time, all the little baby cicadas are born at the same time. The adult cicadas die after they mate and reproduce. A few weeks later, all the baby cicadas drop from the trees deep into the ground where they stay and grow up together, feeding off the tree roots. They do not come back out again until they are 17 years old. Then, when the soil temperature is just right, they make their long trek back up through the ground to repeat the cycle and do it all over again. Talk about living underground.

The reason that some cicadas come out in 13 years rather than 17 years is that timing thing again. Evidently some of them march to the beat of a different drummer and get out of rhythm with the others. And being out of step, even slightly, will throw them off approximately four years. So all of the little out-of-sync cicadas will be tuned in to a different cycle.

Their 13- and 17-year cycles are noteworthy and it is interesting to consider the symbolism of the cicadas. According to the Bible, Jesus did not start teaching until he was 13 years old. Which many Christians believe is the age of accountability. And our modern society generally perceives that 17 is the onset of adulthood. Also, is it a coincidence that the cicadas sound like they are chanting Pharaoh? “And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go. Else if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring the locusts into thy coast.” (Exodus 10)

Anyone who has heard the hypnotic, insistent, urgent and somewhat demanding cicada Pharaoh chant has to admit it gives reason to ponder. The Pharaoh chant seems to come in a sequence of threes, and once you get that “Pha-raoh – Pha-roah – Pha-roah” in your head, it is difficult to get it out.

Aside from the strong symbolism, the cicada’s extraordinary life cycle is a testament to endurance. Even scientists admit they are special. The study of nature often leads to a better understanding of both human nature and God.

Though the cicada’s constant din may annoy some, they are completely harmless. They are attracted to noise and do not like the rain. And their beady, little red eyes may be slightly unnerving, but their iridescent wings are intricately woven, providing both strength and ethereal beauty, reflecting light in a rainbow of delicate hues – much like stained glass. There are also a few rare cicadas that have white eyes instead of the typical red.

The cicadas will only be around a few more weeks, and we will not get to see them again or hear their synchronized love songs until the year 2042. And, at my age, I am going to enjoy listening to their sweet melody while I can. It could be my last dance with them.

So try not to begrudge them too much for their persistent singing and few weeks of joy. After all, they really do not have much of a life. After spending 17 years underground, they have certainly earned their short, precious time in the sun. And their entire existence depends upon their unique cicada symphony.