Fiji’s Nanai Cicadas: Emerging Every Eight Years Into the Light of Science
Every eight years, the upland forests of Fiji's main island, Viti Levu, host one of the region's most enigmatic natural events. The Nanai cicadas—large, rust-coloured insects known for their distinctive call—surface in synchronized numbers after spending most of a decade underground. While their sound is familiar to many Fijians and their image is celebrated on the Fijian $100 bill, the cicadas themselves are rarely seen. Until now, they have also been largely absent from scientific study.
