Beginning in May, once the ground is warm enough, billions of Brood X cicadas will be seen across a dozen states, stretching from Illinois to the west, Georgia to the south, and New York to the northeast. The young cicadas, called “nymphs,” will resurface en masse after 17 years, before going underground again in dime-sized holes. The Brood X cicadas are periodical insects that come out every 17-years. There are seven species of North American periodical cicadas, all in the genus Magicicada . Four species live on a 13-year cycle, and three for 17 years. This year’s emergence is a group containing all three 17-year species.
They're coming! This is the year of the 17-year cicada in our area. There will be trillions of them in early summer. They are harmless. They are loud. They are high in protein, if you're into that. They don't social distance. It's a phenomenon of nature to be enjoyed. Can't wait! pic.twitter.com/WR5qWCXq3m
— Fairfax County Parks (@fairfaxparks) March 4, 2021
What Happens Next: As many as 1.5 million cicadas per acre (4,000 square meters) can cover some areas of the eastern United States. Once above ground, the cicadas announce their arrival through loud, buzzing mating calls. The males head toward the tops of trees and let out a loud whirring noise that can fill the air at up to 80 to 100 decibels. During the last emergence of the Brood X cicadas in 2004, the PGA’s Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio, was awash in the nonstop buzz of cicadas, providing a noisy backdrop to television coverage as the golfers played 72 holes over the course of four days.
The Response : Many have electronically captured the periodical resurgence of the winged insects after 17 years and shared videos and pictures on social media.
They boil up from the soil below, they fall from the trees above. Suddenly its #BroodX all around pic.twitter.com/0fqx8yewHt
— Daniel Gruner (@GrunerDaniel) May 15, 2021
Spotted in Washington, D.C : your friendly red-eyed screaming neighborhood #cicada. They've arrived… have you seen them around?
More about this creature we protect and what you need to know about the #BroodX emergence, HERE: https://t.co/x0kGKVOgew pic.twitter.com/WZcVhLZGbR
— The Nature Conservancy (@nature_org) May 17, 2021
Lots of activity in the yard tonight. Watched this one set up camp and then molt. The whole process from start to finish was an hour and 45 minutes. #broodx pic.twitter.com/1j6O6eNftS
— Erin Huggins (@ErinHuggins7) May 16, 2021
So fresh. So new.#BroodX #CicadaWatch2021 pic.twitter.com/L6LdS8H2Q3
— Jane Hartman (@trilobiteglass) May 19, 2021