Cicada vs Locust

People call periodical cicadas locusts because they emerge in huge numbers, but the two insects are unrelated. Cicadas are in the group that includes aphids. Locusts are a kind of grasshopper, with enlarged hind legs for jumping. Cicadas have smaller legs for clinging to trees, large membranous forewings that extend beyond the abdomen and large, widely spaced eyes.

The behavior differs too. Only male cicadas sing, and periodical cicadas emerge on 13 or 17 year cycles, while locusts form swarms that can cover more than 1,000 square kilometers and strip crops. Cicadas do not actually swarm, they cause minor damage to twigs where females lay eggs, and do not bite or poison. The Rocky Mountain locust went extinct about 1900.

Cicada vs Locust side by side

Last verified October 2026. Typical values; individual animals, products and local prices vary.

When you are looking at which

Cicada

• You hear a loud buzzing or droning song coming from trees in summer.
• The insect has large clear wings longer than its body and wide-set eyes.
• It has red eyes with orange markings (periodical cicada) or black eyes and green coloring (dog day cicada).
• You see twigs with small egg-laying slits but no stripped plants.

Locust

• The insect has big hind legs and jumps like a grasshopper.
• It forms dense bands or flies in a cloud over crops.
• Whole fields have been stripped of leaves.
• You are in a plague region in Africa, the Middle East or South Asia.

How this works

The quiz asks about sound, hind legs, wings and eyes, damage, and timing. These cues come from university extension guides explaining why cicadas and locusts are different insects and how to tell them apart, and each answer is tied to a feature those guides list.

It cannot help with katydids, crickets or other jumping insects, and a single insect in a photo may hide the legs or eyes. Annual dog day cicadas and 13 or 17 year periodical cicadas differ in color and timing. If you suspect a true locust swarm, report it to your local agriculture office.

Where these numbers come from

The figures and defaults on this page are based on:

• University of Florida IFAS Extension: Cicadas and locusts, Classification, wings, eyes, sound, swarming, damage and Rocky Mountain locust (checked October 2026)
• NC State Extension: Got Cicada Questions?, Cicadas are not swarmers, 13 or 17 year broods, no bite or poison (checked October 2026)
• Cicada Mania: These are Not Cicada Insects, Hind legs, singing and damage differences between cicadas and locusts (checked October 2026)

Field-identification guide; the quiz separates cicadas from locusts, and other jumping insects differ.