#0290 · Generation III
What Animal Is Nincada Based On?
Nincada most closely resembles the Seventeen-year Cicada.
Closest animal
Seventeen-year CicadaConfidence
Strong animal match
How Nincada compares to the real Seventeen-year Cicada
Nincada's official category is the Trainee Pokémon. AnimalDex rates its resemblance to the Seventeen-year Cicada as a strong match, meaning the design reads directly as this animal. Nincada is a cicada nymph that lives underground for a long time before emerging. The seventeen-year cicada, famous for its long underground life, is the closest real species.
The comparison covers looks and behavior cues, not biology: Nincada is a fictional Pokémon, while the Seventeen-year Cicada (Magicicada septendecim) is a real animal. On AnimalDex the real Seventeen-year Cicada scores 3 for dominance, 34 for speed, 3 for size and 7 for intelligence, out of 100, so its strongest trait is speed.
Official category: Trainee Pokemon. This page is an AnimalDex comparison for real-animal resemblance, not an official design-origin claim.
Meet the real Seventeen-year Cicada
Magicicada septendecim
Seventeen-year Cicadas feed on root fluids as nymphs, then appear in huge numbers to call, mate, and reproduce. Their timing overwhelms predators by making the whole generation arrive together.
How to recognize it
- Black body about 3 cm long
- Bright red eyes
- Orange-veined clear wings with a dark W near the tips
Real Seventeen-year Cicada facts
- It is one of three cicada species with a 17-year cycle, and separate broods emerge in different years in different areas.
- Emergence usually begins when the soil about 20 cm down warms to roughly 18 °C.
- Diet
- Nymphs drink watery xylem sap from tree roots through a piercing beak. Adults take small amounts of sap from twigs and eat little else.
- Lifespan
- About 17 years in total, almost all as an underground nymph; the adult stage lasts roughly two to four weeks.
- Predators and threats
- Birds, squirrels, snakes, dogs and fish feast on emerging adults. A fungus, Massospora, infects many and destroys the abdomen. Adults cannot bite or sting.
| Dominance | Speed | Size | Intelligence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/100 | 34/100 | 3/100 | 7/100 |
Nincada animal FAQ
- What animal is Nincada based on?
- Nincada most closely resembles the Seventeen-year Cicada. Nincada is a cicada nymph that lives underground for a long time before emerging. The seventeen-year cicada, famous for its long underground life, is the closest real species.
- Is Nincada a real animal?
- No. Nincada is a fictional Pokémon. Its closest real counterpart is the Seventeen-year Cicada (Magicicada septendecim), which AnimalDex covers with real field-guide facts.
- What is the real Seventeen-year Cicada like?
- Seventeen-year Cicadas feed on root fluids as nymphs, then appear in huge numbers to call, mate, and reproduce. Their timing overwhelms predators by making the whole generation arrive together.
- Which other Pokémon are based on the Seventeen-year Cicada?
- AnimalDex also pairs Paras, Parasect, Ninjask and Shedinja with the Seventeen-year Cicada.
More Seventeen-year Cicada comparisons in Generation III
| No. | Pokemon | Closest animal | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| #0291 |  Ninjask | medium | |
| #0292 |  Shedinja | broad |