Cicadas and Locusts

Locusts are a type of grasshopper, but differ from other grasshoppers in their ability to migrate and swarm. Cicadas are sometimes mistaken for locusts because periodical cicadas appear in huge numbers when they first emerge from the ground. One easy way to identify cicadas is by the loud sound they make and their unique life cycle, coming in both annual and 17 year spans. Both locusts and other grasshoppers are herbivores, and in high numbers, can cause serious crop and plant damage.