Cicadas are a superfamily of insects known as Cicadoidea, belonging to the order Hemiptera. They are classified within the suborder Auchenorrhyncha, a group that also includes smaller jumping bugs such as froghoppers and leafhoppers.
The superfamily is divided into two primary families: Tettigarctidae, which contains two species found in Australia, and Cicadidae. The latter family is significantly larger, with more than 3,000 described species distributed globally, though many additional species remain undescribed. Most cicada species are annual, with the notable exception of North American periodical cicadas of the genus Magicicada, which emerge en masse every 13 or 17 years.