Did anyone else ever, as a kid, or as an adult, look for cicada shedded exoskeletons?

[raccoon]

We called them "locusts."

[EYESORE 9001]

1. Reminds me of the first time I saw a shedded cicada exoskeleton

I must have been around 6 or 7, when I saw a cicada near the top of a 4’ wooden post. I went on to school and passed the spot where I’d seen the bug previously. I became aware that the cicada was gone, leaving behind a perfect replica of itself. After that, I never failed to marvel at this amazing process.

[elleng]

4. Sure, found a few of them here in southern MD 'last time' they woke and

'wandered' around. Not sure whether we'll get any this time.

[Arkansas Granny]

2. I grew up in the country and those "shells" were pretty commonplace.

What we really looked for was one who hadn't shed yet. We would put them in a jar with a stick or piece of bark and watch as they came out of its shell. It was fascinating to watch. The insect that emerged seemed so much larger than the space it had occupied.

When the wings had dried, we turned them loose outside.

[Marthe48]

3. I did

I grew up near Cleveland, Oh. We had about 5 acres of woods, and fruit trees close to the house. I was outside as much as I could be after the weather warmed up. I loved finding the shells. I still look for the shells. The last big hatching here was around 2014. I don't know if we'll see many in this area this year.

[Chainfire]

5. Of course I did. My "Granny" told me that the eyes on the shells would bring a dime apiece in China.

Why the claim, or where it came from, I will never know. Perhaps it was just to keep me busy looking on the pine trees for the bug's shells and out of her hair. In the early 60s a dime was real money to a kid, it would buy two big candy bars...

[TrueBlueNV]

6. Yes!

In fact I would catch them when they were crawling up the tree trunks in their “bug” form. Then I would place them on my curtain in my bedroom overnight so that the first morning sun would warm them. I would wake up to a hatched locust!! First thing in the morning I would let it go and listen to it sing (scream?) when it would fly out of my hands!!

They would be bright green when they first hatch and then change color in the sun to their dark adult color.

The shell would still be stuck to the curtain and I would use it as show & tell.

[Midnight Writer]

7. We used them to attack our toy Army men.

An early rendition of Starship Troopers.

[electric_blue68]

9. Now, THAT'S Creative! 😄 👍

[electric_blue68]

8. Glad y'all are having fun. But no, and no thanks! Eeeee. I live in NYC, it's possible some of the Outer Burroughs....

the more suburban areas might have them.

I'm not totally insect adverse; praying mantises, lady bugs, fireflies, some catarpillers, butterflies, some moths.

I'd love to see a walking stick!
And maaaaybe a big scarab beetle.