This process is called sublimation. The opposite (deposition) is where a gas turns directly into a solid. Sublimation occurs if the pressure and temperature are right for the specific substance, so that the solid phase in a phase diagram borders the gas phase.
Most cicadas go through a life cycle that lasts from two to five years. Some species have much longer life cycles, such as the North American genus, Magicicada, which has a number of distinct broods that go through either a 17-year or, in some parts of the world, a 13-year life cycle.
Description and Life Cycle. The adult periodical cicada (Fig. 1) is 1 to 11/2 inches long. The body is black, and legs, eyes and wing veins are reddish-orange. Adults usually emerge in early May in large numbers when the soil temperature 4 inches deep is 67 degrees F.