Trillions of periodical cicadas are set to emerge from the ground this spring, bringing their loud buzzing and molted exoskeletons with them. There are two groups of periodical cicadas, those that emerge every 13 years and those that emerge every 17 years. These cicadas live underground for most of their lives and emerge when the soil reaches 64 degrees. The cicadas are expected to arrive in mid-May of 2024, with both the 13-year and 17-year cicadas emerging in numbers not seen in generations. They mate, molt, and then die, leaving behind their offspring to burrow into the soil and lay dormant until their next cycle.
The 13-year cicadas, known as Brood XIX, will emerge in Georgia and the Southeast, while the 17-year cicadas, known as Brood XIII, will appear in Illinois. This will be the first time since 1803 that these two broods have emerged simultaneously. The next convergence of these broods will not occur until 2037. University of Connecticut cicada expert John Cooley has dubbed the overlap “cicada-geddon,” but notes that the largest event will take place in 2076 when Broods XIX and XIV emerge together. Experts predict that hundreds of trillions, or even quadrillions, of cicadas will emerge, averaging around 1 million per acre over millions of acres.
Some of the cicadas may be affected by a fungal pathogen called Massospora cicadina, which makes them hyper-sexual and behaves like “zombie cicadas.” The fungus leads to a chalky, white plug erupting from their bodies and causes their genitalia to fall off. The impact of this fungal infection on other wildlife, animals, and humans is not yet clear. Despite the fungus, the cicadas continue to carry out normal activities like mating, flying, and walking on plants, even though a third of their bodies have been replaced by fungus, making the situation quite bizarre.
The dual brood emergence of the 13-year and 17-year cicadas will primarily be seen in parts of Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. A map from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows the emergence of both the 13- and 17-year cicada broods from 2013 to 2029, providing a visual representation of where the cicadas will be seen across the United States. The unique convergence of these two broods is a rare event that will surely capture the attention of cicada enthusiasts and researchers alike.
In other news, a thief admitted to trying on and melting down Yogi Berra’s World Series rings, a CBS 60 Minutes episode explored the theme of “Civil War” and an upcoming eclipse in 2024 is expected to deliver awe-inspiring moments as well as some “very strange” occurrences.
