Cicada Exuviae (Cicada Shell / Molt)

Deciduous trees, temperate forests, woodlands, parks, and suburban gardens where mature trees are present.

The empty shed skin consumes nothing. Nymphs feed on xylem sap from plant roots underground, while adult cicadas feed on tree sap.

Nymphs live underground for 2 to 17 years before emerging at night, climbing elevated vertical surfaces like wooden fences or tree trunks, anchoring themselves, and molting into winged adults, leaving behind these hollow shells.

Completely harmless to humans, pets, and structures. The shells are empty exoskeletons. Cicadas serve as a major food source for birds, small mammals, and predatory insects, and their emerging nymphs aerate soil.