“Don’t poke the cicada’s tail.”
“U’n ci tuccare u culu a’ cicala.”
(Sicilian proverb)
This Sicilian saying literally means not to provoke someone who reacts immediately and excessively.
Just as a cicada would leap into the air at the slightest touch, a person may respond with an unnecessary overreaction.
It is also used when it is better to avoid bringing up a subject that should remain private.