How do cicada eggs survive over a decade? Wouldn’t they be eaten or washed away by then?

Question

How do cicada eggs survive over a decade? Wouldn’t they be eaten or washed away by then?

In: Biology

Answer 1

The eggs don’t. The eggs are laid on tree branches and hatch after 6 weeks. It is the young cicadas which drop to the ground and burrow, attaching themselves to tree roots, that survive for long periods.