Cicada comes to visit
With the arrival of the monsoon (ie more rain than usual) season here in the Southwest comes the incessant buzz of the Cicada, of which there are about 3 dozen species here in Arizona. This one, a Grand Western Flood Plain Cicada (Megatibicen cultiformis) - which emerge after three years of growing underground - decided to pay us a visit by landing on our screen door.
Despite their large size and(somewhat) fearsome appearance they are completely harmless as they neither bite or sting. As a matter of fact the only thing on their mind(?) is to find a mate to continue their life cycle after which they die.
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The cicada has a few natural predators, the ultimate here in Arizona being the aptly named Cicada Killer Wasp which lays its eggs on the paralyzed cicada.
https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef004
However my Lulu most certainly was not a threat and was not at all interested in this big, noisy creature
This one seemed not to be concerned about me and was in no hurry to fly off so I was able to take several photos while he walked around on my hand.
