About to molt

Here's a cicada that has just crawled out of the ground and up this tree. In a bit, it will break out of its shell, dry its wings, and fly off. Then it will settle in or on a tree, suck some of its sap, make lots of noise (if it is a male), have sex, lay eggs (if it is a female), and die. The eggs will hatch and the larvae will fall to the ground, dig in, suck the sap from roots for a couple of years, dig back out, climb a tree, molt, fly away . . .