For the first time in 221 years, this spring will see billions, if not trillions, of cicadas take to the skies in a rare synchronized event that will transform our ecosystems for years to come.
In forests across the United States, two groups, or “broods,” of these noisy insects will crawl out from their underground dwellings to sprout wings, mate, lay eggs, and eventually die. In the Midwest, there’s Brood XIX, which pops up every 13 years, and Brood XIII, which emerges every 17 years and is concentrated in the Southeast.
The mass eruption, scientists believe, is strategic, but many mysteries about cicadas remain: Why do their alarm clocks use prime numbers? For that matter, how do they keep time? We’ll explain everything we know about this spectacular double brood event here. Follow along.
Watch Sir David Attenborough seduce a cicada with the snap of his fingers
A Brood X cicada molts in Washington, DC. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty ImagesIn the coming weeks, billions of periodical cicadas will rise up from the ground across the midwestern and southeastern United States. As they do, they’ll sprout wings, mate, and die within a few weeks.
If you live in an area where Brood XIII and Brood XIX cicadas are expected, you will not mistake their arrival. In addition to littering the ground with exoskeletons, in their frenzied quest for mates, cicadas make a ton of noise.
Read Article >A rare burst of billions of cicadas will rewire our ecosystems for years to come
Periodical cicadas in Takoma Park, Maryland, that emerged in 2021 as part of Brood X. Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesThis spring is a very good time to be a bird.
In forests across the Midwest and Southeast, the ground is about to erupt with billions of loud, protein-packed cicadas. They’ll buzz about for a few weeks as they search for mates, providing snacks for pretty much every living creature in the forest, from songbirds and swans to frogs and even fish.
Read Article >Where billions of cicadas will emerge this spring (and over the next decade), in one map
Florilegius/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesFor well over a decade, periodical cicadas do very little. They hang out in the ground, sucking sap out of tree roots. Then, following this absurdly long stint in the soil, they emerge, sprout wings, make a ton of noise, have sex, and die within a few weeks. Their orphan progeny return to the ground and live the next 17 or 13 years in darkness.
Several species of periodical cicadas appear in the eastern US — sometimes ahead of schedule — but it’s a different 17- or 13-year crew that wakes up each time. (There are also, separately, some annual cicadas that emerge every year.)
Read Article >These dogs, birds, and squirrels are stuffing their faces with Brood X cicadas
Abbie, a corgi, is one of many dogs that has a taste for Brood X cicadas. Laura HayesFor some of us, the thought of biting into a cicada, six legs and all, is revolting — be it deep-fried or dipped in chocolate. But many other animals, from dogs to fish to raccoons, pounce at the chance to snack on these winged insects, and they are eagerly digging in as billions of Brood X cicadas erupt across parts of the eastern US and Midwest. No toppings necessary.
For pet pooches, the crunchy critters may offer a reprieve from their dull, daily dog food. Some canines are so cicada-crazy, in fact, that their owners have to muzzle them while taking them outside, for fear they might swallow too many of them and suffer from gastrointestinal problems.
Read Article >What the cicadas will leave behind
The shell of a periodical cicada, which emerged in mid-May in Takoma Park, Maryland. Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesIt’s finally happening. Scores of cicadas are starting to erupt from the earth across parts of the eastern US, crawl up trees, shed their skin, and begin a loud hunt for mates.
These particular insects are part of a group known as Brood X that emerges once every 17 years. And when they do, the lacy-winged critters hang around for two to four weeks before dying, assuming they don’t get nabbed by birds, pets, or a hungry zoo animal first.
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