Amazing Cicada Life Cycle | Sir David Attenborough's Life In the Undergrowth | BBC 

Can you imagine living underground for 17 years, just to come out to be trolled by David Attenborough.

Imagine living underground for 17 years just to come out and be loud asf just because you wanna smash

I’ve lived through this several times in my life. I remember one time when I was younger my dad threw a tennis racket into a tree that had hundreds of them in it. He did that because my sister hated them and a swarm of them flew right at her. It was priceless.

i’m actually less scared of them now, thank you dude

Cameraman - "Finally, after 17 years of sitting here filming they emerge"

That poor Cicada thought he was going to get laid...that's a terrible trick to play!

Here in Illinois, this year, we have two species of cicades coming out together, for the first time in over 221 years. I know it’s not a big deal, but me, I love nature, and that sounds awesome 😊

I watch this every 13 years. 2024 is my year.

They're so relaxing during the summer, until one either falls out of a tree and hits you, or flies right into your face.

I love how sir David seduced one of the cicadas, lol

Dude, watching them emerge from the outer shell, I'm almost envious. That looks like it is one of the greatest feelings any living thing can experience. It's amazing watching the wings take shape then almost instantly become hard enough to be useful

I love cicadas. When I was young my father would take me out at like 4am in the morning the catch these. We'd take some home and put them on our fly screen and watch them hatch then we'd put them on our trees outside to be free. Because my father introduced them to me in such a way, they're the only insect I don't mind handling and catching.

17 year olds only ever have one thing on their minds...

3:48 Cicada: Dont move Attenborough... just let this happen.

No one: Male human: *snaps fingers* Male Cicada: “Hey girl, what you say your name was again? Caitlynn?😍😘

Here in Texas we have cicadas every summer. Even when I was 4 years old I was mesmerized by them. I'm in my fifties now and still think their music is the most beautiful song ever.

I'm awake at 1:30 am watching Sir David Attenborough catfish cicadas

I don't even regret spending 5 min. watching Sir David Attenborough catfish cicadas, lol

When he was snapping: “Why you gotta lead my homie on like that?”

Who else from Maryland and starting to see them in piles?

You can hear these every summer in Oklahoma. I've never found the buzzing annoying, though. It's just a relaxing and nostalgic summer sound

I love how even Attenborough, despite all the expeditions he’s been on, and all the animals he encountered and interacted with, he still gets squeamish when an insect flys to his face, just like how most people would react.

There's an interesting hypothesis on the reason why these cicadas emerge every 17 years. Cicadas, as most animals do, have predators (wasps for example). The way they defend themselves is called "Predator Saciation", that means they make themselves so numerous that they overwhelm the predator, they just cant eat anymore. The problem with this is that when you give too much food to your predator, they multiply, and that's not good for you. And that's where the 17 years comes in. They make their lifecycle really long so that the predator can't match their cycle. But why 17? Well, let's say they have a cycle of 12 years. In this case, the predator doesnt need to match that long cycle, if they have a cycle of 6 years for example, they will catch up with the cicadas every 2 lifecycles. So the cicadas need a number that can't be divisible, a prime number. So those are the conditions, long life cycle, and a prime number. There is another type of cicada that has a cycle of 13 years, which would support this theory. Of course they didnt choose to do this, it's the work of natural selection, maybe there were cicadas with lifecycles of 8, 10, 12 years. But their predators catched up with them and they went extint, and only the ones with these conditions survived.

I live in Maryland and am currently sitting on my porch and can not even hear my iPad which is right on my lap. The cicadas are SO loud and I love it. The Brood X cicadas are truly a wonder of nature.

That’s kinda a kool life. After years underground you emerge to see the sun, grow a pair of wings and go find love. Beautiful.

stop giving them blue balls old man

I grew up with these here in the Appalachian Mountains but we call them “jar flies”. One of the reasons is that if you’re close to them their noise is jarring but the most common reason is we’d try to catch them and put them in a jar so we could hear them later. They were incredibly timid so it was rare to catch any. To think all I had to do was snap my fingers and they would come to me. Go figure.

Funny how this popped up into my recommended while this is actually currently taking place.

3:17 your playing with that dudes feelings don’t do him dirty like that 😭😭

I love the sound of cicadas in the summertime. But they are some scary looking bugs.

The World would be much poorer without Sir David. Another enlightening bit of information. Thank you.

Exactly 10 years ago 2013 the summer of 2013.. my ex, and I we were living up in Virginia at the time and we were sitting out on our front steps it was about 12 AM. All of a sudden they started popping up out of the ground everywhere. It was pretty amazing to say the least but also kind of creepy at the same time.

"Aaahhhhhhh, after 17 years I'm free. It's time to conquer Earttthhhh."

They're in the "climax"... Very clever choice of words lol

I'm still SHOCKED they spend 17 years underground, it's amazing and kinda beautiful 😮

You forgot the part about their lack of boundaries and their issue with asking consent before caressing people’s necks

I live in Japan, Tokyo to be specific, and here in Japan, the cicada is considered the symbol of summer. Spring has the cherry blossom, summer has the cicada. To the Japanese, the cicada embodies a lot of what was considered the "warrior's ideal," very much like the cherry blossom, a short life, yet one lived to the fullest.

After 17 years... MTV Cicada Spring Break goes off the chain!

It's happening now in the Maryland area. What a privilege to witness this event. Nature😍

2021....and now we have them again.

17 years waiting underground.. i feel so bad have killing one of them when i was a kid...

Living in eastern Oklahoma all my life I have grown to find the sound of cicadas nostalgic.

My God my God!! I marvel in the world that you have created. You are beyond my comprehension but never beyond my appreciation.

The screaming bloody murder in the background really does it for me. So calming.

That is so adorable how it follows him.

David, you tease!

Catonsville, Md here. It's over now and I totally enjoyed the show. Odds are I will not be around for their next debut. My two year old grand daughter and I had some fun watching them up close, making memories and pictures that I hope she will cherish when she is 19 and the cicadas make their grand entrance again. 💌🦗

@4:28 the cicada is climbing up his pants onto his shirt omg I would’ve had an heart attack 😩

3:02 there a cicada on ur shoulder lol 4:31: theres one on ur leg climbing

This is just priceless. You become a treasure by showing life's treasures. Thank you, David!

I love hearing the Cicada’s when they’re making their noise, it reminds me of my childhood when we would go down to my uncles cabin for the weekend and hearing them in the woods was music to my ears.

That man is a international treasure! I could listen to him talk all day.

I wish I could attract females by screaming as loud as i can.

This really reinforces the fact that I need to spend more time in nature. Much to be discovered and learned.

I'm writing this in 2021, and I hope you film again this documentary in HD quality in about four more years from now :)

It's June 2021 and I'm in Cincinnati Ohio looking at the Cicadas right now. If God is willing I will be back here to read my comment in 17 years at the age of 57.

When I was going through Sapper school at Ft. Leonard Wood MO, I remember hearing the sound. It's unforgettable. It sounds like buzzing power lines, but it surrounds you everywhere. Almost like it's emanating from thin air. Funny thing is: I've never seen one.

I heard their wonderful songs as I walked home in the sun today. To me they are the embodiment of Summer. I can't imagine having a year without them, they're just brilliant :) I collected around 76 on my walk, I didn't even know I picked up that many!

here we go boys.....

Okay that snapping of the finger was legendary

Why Sir David Attenborough is so brilliant?

My brother in law showed me this entire life cycle happening as I spent my vacation there visting! It's amazing to watch them emerge from the ground, time capsuled, then they crawl to whatever they can climb to perch upside down, then the metamorphosis begins! It's amazing! Their wings are like jelly but harden as they begin to flap them! I swear, it's like a magic trick somewhat related to butterflies. But a different insect entirely! Nature timed at 17 yrs but it's actually an annual event. Because they bred intermediary cycles. Every year brings in their distinct anniversary of their evolutionary origin.

This spring "after seventeen long years it's time to get down to business", unfortunately for me I can relate.

Sir David is the ultimate narrator on the planet. And Marty Stouffer.

Hear them every summer here in central Pennsylvania...but I love 'em

After 17 years, the time has come to get down to business... LOL

Quite simply, David Attenborough is a treasure.

Celebrating 2021 Cicada Emergence here in Maryland. It is so fascinating. I have taken many pictures and helped a few of them to the tree trunks where they belong. I feel so bad for the ones that plunge into my windshield while I'm driving. Seems so sad that after 17 long years so many of them die so quickly, never to make it to mating. But, I am happy for the ones that do.

I killed one by accident a long time ago.i feel so bad knowing it lived for 17 years

Congratulations! Your Nincada has evolved into Ninjask!

Well this video was made 15 years ago so we should be due for more cicadas and another great video

Maryland right now

I complimented one on its patience once, and Mr. A was correct, he was extraordinarily humble. I remember a MASSIVE cicada hatch when i was around ten or eleven. It was impressive

Last time they came out I got all the ones that Got stuck in they're cases and put them all into a big box so they could mate. I felt bad for them 17 years and you get stuck in your nymf shell. I was like cicada match maker, a real bro haha

I saw my first brood x cicada today here in Ohio. I missed the last emergence because I was in basic training. Im a nerd for this kind of stuff so im excited

I love these little creatures!❤ I love listening to them!

The cicada blew in his ear 😂

David said the sound was awful, this surprised me honestly. I love the beautiful sound of Cicadas. Not something you can really put on tape with a shotgun mic or whatever. You have to just stand amongst it :)

Wow! I got to experience first hand just how damn LOUD these things are while on holiday in New Zealand 12 years ago - I was actually very lucky that that happened to be the exact year that the Cicadas emerged, and that I wouldn’t catch that event again for another 5 years from today - it was highly annoying to me at the time because they were loud enough to give me a headache, but really I was fortunate to experience that in that year!

I love them. Reminds me of when I was a child. It is amazing to see them again. And I hope that I get to see them next time they come.

3:20 Why you gotta go catfishing that little guy Bro?

Cicadas are so awesome I love them

They have just emerged after 17 years. I can hear their chorus. There are so many of them! How interesting. I had never seen them before around here.

It's one of the sounds of summer here... the annual cicadas are not so earsplitting, but when one of the long-term Broods comes up from the depths, it's a raucous occasion for sure. Sir David Attenborough's one of my favorite nature-show hosts for a good reason. Always classy and witty and fun to listen to. :)

They've been social distancing for 17 years!😂

2021 is the year. They are everywhere here in Washington DC. Cool life cycle!

Always liked the sound they make. Helps me sleep. Same with frogs & crickets.

Anyone else here after finding out that they re-emerging in 2020

it’s crazy how people can get so close to these big bugs without fear

😂 I like how Attenborough standing in a field is more pixelated than the toilet-cam angle of two cicadas goin' to town

They're so CUUUUUUUUTE!!! Especially the female following the finger snaps haha

one of my favorite Sir David Moments, ever... the contortions of his face as he gets ear-blasted by that cicada are just priceless.

amazing footage

2:55 David Attenborough, Cicada CT extraordinaire.

They’re back man

Anyone notice the bug on Sir Attenborough's leg? It keeps climbing his shirt!

Amazing video! I liked this short, informative video. I've always liked the time of the year when the sound of cicadas lulled me to sleep. Unfortunately here in the Midwest, farm chemicals have badly reduced their numbers and they are a vanishing sound in the night, just like frogs, owls, foxes....and the blink of lightening bugs.

The one sound I will never get tired of, beautiful beautiful cicadas

Snapping his fingers, what a tease for the cicadas

"Can I bring you back?" "how about coming this way?" "The noise is awful!" "Yes I can hear you!" He kind of got what he deserved didn't he, lol.