Cicadas spend the majority of their lives underground as nymphs, typically for 13 or 17 years depending on the species. Once they emerge from the ground, their adult stage above ground lasts only about 3 to 6 weeks. During this brief period, they molt into adults, mate, lay eggs, and then die. The exact duration above ground can vary slightly with weather conditions, but generally, cicadas live above ground for about a month or less
