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Texas has an annual cicada which is also known as the "dog day cicada" because it makes its annual appearance during the dog days of summer. This time of hot, humid weather usually begins in early July and lasts until mid-August. "Dog days" coincide with the time when Sirius, the Dog Star rises at the same time as the sun.

The two kinds of cicada have different life spans. The annual dog day cicada emerges every year, has a life span of two to four years, and is a bit larger than the 17-year cicada.

The periodical cicada is easy to identify. It's black with orange eyes, whereas cicadas in Texas are a dark green color. Annual cicadas will be here all summer up until September.

Remarkable among insects, the periodical cicada spends 17 years as juveniles one to two feet underground, where they feed on tree roots. Temperature clues tell them to dig to the surface. Numerous holes in the ground at the base of trees signal the emergence of both annual and periodical cicadas. After emerging at night, cicadas shed their external skeleton and fly away. The ghostly shells of these cicadas are often seen clinging to trees, fence posts and the sides of buildings.

Post-processing: PSP 8.0 - one step photo fix