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melvynyeo — Black and Golden Cicada -Huechys fusca

Published: 2012-11-26 15:10:56 +0000 UTC; Views: 8284; Favourites: 243; Downloads: 116
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Description This is a rather rare cicada over here.... and it's very beautiful! When freshly moulted, the wings and certain part of the body is white color.... and after a while, they turn black! See here... [link]

Here's the same one while moulting [link]


Interesting read...
Symbolism
In France, the cicada is used to represent the folklore of Provence and Mediterranean cities (although some species live in Alsace or the Paris Basin).

In the Ancient Greek myth, Tithonus eventually turns into a cicada after being granted immortality, but not eternal youth, by Zeus.

The cicada has represented insouciance since classical antiquity. Jean de La Fontaine began his collection of fables Les fables de La Fontaine with the story La Cigale et la Fourmi (The Cicada and the Ant) based on one of Aesop's fables: in it the cicada spends the summer singing while the ant stores away food, and finds herself without food when the weather turns bitter.

In Japan, the cicada is associated with the summer season. The songs of the cicada are often used in Japanese film and television to indicate the scene is taking place in the summer. The song of Meimuna opalifera, called "tsuku-tsuku boshi", is said to indicate the end of summer, and it is called so because of its particular call. During the summer, it is a pastime for children to collect both cicadas and the shells left behind when moulting.

Since the cicada emerges from the ground to sing every summer, in Japan it is seen as a symbol of reincarnation. Of special importance is the fact that the cicada moults, leaving behind an empty shell. But furthermore, since the cicada only lives for the short period of time long enough to attract a mate with its song and complete the process of fertilization, they are seen as a symbol of evanescence.

In the Japanese novel The Tale of Genji, the title character poetically likens one of his many love interests to a cicada for the way she delicately sheds her scarf the way a cicada sheds its shell when molting. A cicada shell also plays a role in the manga Winter Cicada. They are also a frequent subject of haiku, where, depending on type, they can indicate spring, summer, or fall. Also, in the series Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, cicadas (or higurashi) are a major subject.

In China, the phrase 'to shed off the golden cicada skin'(金蝉脱壳, pinyin: Jīn Chán tuōké) is the poetic name of the tactic of using deception to escape danger, specifically of using decoys (leaving the old shell) to fool enemies. It became one of the 36 classic Chinese strategems. In the Chinese classic Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Diaochan also got her name from the sable (diāo) tails and jade decorations in the shape of cicadas (chán), which at the time adorned the hats of high-level officials. In the Chinese classic Journey to the West, the protagonist Priest of Tang was named the Golden Cicada; in this context the multiple shedding of shell of the cicada symbolizes the many stages of transformation required of a person before all illusions have been broken and one reaches enlightenment. This is also referred to in Japanese mythical ninja lore, as the technique of utsusemi (i.e., literally cicada), where ninjas would trick opponents into attacking a decoy.

Source [link]
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Comments: 24

Balahast [2015-01-21 11:37:43 +0000 UTC]

That's a brilliant one.

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BobaFett3000 [2014-12-20 23:18:35 +0000 UTC]

The Golden Witch is here

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wuestenbrand [2014-01-21 16:28:33 +0000 UTC]

Great Work .. ..

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NoobKid [2013-09-14 20:59:13 +0000 UTC]

Iz ThAtZ r3AlZ?

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ainagami [2013-08-12 07:32:13 +0000 UTC]

I love cicadas

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LexiaForna [2013-07-24 13:52:17 +0000 UTC]

awesome!!


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Falken02 [2013-07-07 20:57:13 +0000 UTC]

those wings are gorgeous!!

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melvynyeo In reply to Falken02 [2013-07-08 10:57:17 +0000 UTC]

Thank you !

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Diblet [2013-06-20 04:48:38 +0000 UTC]

That is amazing.. I have never seen one with white wings. I love it. So beautiful, and perfect.. like all of your photos.

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melvynyeo In reply to Diblet [2013-07-08 10:57:21 +0000 UTC]

Thank you !

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StereoLime [2013-03-25 17:10:13 +0000 UTC]

Simply stunning photography.

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melvynyeo In reply to StereoLime [2013-03-27 06:28:40 +0000 UTC]

Thank you!

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RonzRa [2013-03-17 16:11:21 +0000 UTC]

Its so yellow and bright and pretty~!

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melvynyeo In reply to RonzRa [2013-03-22 07:44:07 +0000 UTC]

Thank you!

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HannahoftheMist [2012-11-27 04:33:26 +0000 UTC]

The white wings are so beautiful!

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melvynyeo In reply to HannahoftheMist [2012-12-27 05:57:12 +0000 UTC]

Thanks!!

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luckydesigns [2012-11-27 03:58:09 +0000 UTC]

I absolutely love the composition on this one!

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melvynyeo In reply to luckydesigns [2012-12-27 05:57:15 +0000 UTC]

Thanks!!

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WhiteRoseBrian [2012-11-26 23:24:15 +0000 UTC]

Impressive.

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melvynyeo In reply to WhiteRoseBrian [2012-12-27 05:57:17 +0000 UTC]

Thanks!!

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SkyeGriffith [2012-11-26 16:22:23 +0000 UTC]

It makes me sad to think that because of all the construction that has been done has destroyed the cicada population. I havent seen any in years.

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melvynyeo In reply to SkyeGriffith [2012-12-27 05:57:40 +0000 UTC]

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Liuxiaofei [2012-11-26 15:58:59 +0000 UTC]

This photo makes me think about a tactic that Vietnamese call "kim thiền thoát xác" or "ve vàng lột xác".

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melvynyeo In reply to Liuxiaofei [2012-12-27 05:57:27 +0000 UTC]

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