BROOD X IS here!
Brood X cicada nymphs tunnel upwards en masse to emerge from the surface of the ground every 17 years. They fly, climb trees, shed their skins, become adults, and fill the air with their loud mating clicks.
Have YOU seen or heard them?!
-
Brood X, last seen in 2004, is having its major emergence now! It's native to Indiana, southeastern Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, eastern Tennessee and other areas throughout the eastern United states.
-
Brood X is one of the largest groups of periodical cicadas, and also one of the most broadly spread. In some of the densest areas, there could be millions of the red-eyed bugs crawling out of the ground per acre!
-
The cicada has the longest lifecycle of any insect. Some broods are on a 13 year cycle, while 3 others, including Brood X, emerge every 17 years. They live those 17 years about a foot or two underground as wingless nymphs, feeding on the sap of tree roots. When they are mature, a biological clock triggers the once-in-a-generation emergence.
-
Cicadas are impressively loud, but only the males produce the ear-splitting sounds in their efforts to attract a mate. To produce the signature cicada chirp, the males contract two ridged membranes on the side of their abdomen. Those sounds are amplified by their almost-hollow abdomens. If a female in interested, she'll click her wings in return.
-
Cicadas are not picky and have been documented as eating more than 200 different species of tree. Other wildlife benefits from the mass emergence of cicadas, and there's often a boost in animal populations in the year after a brood’s emergence.
-
Tasty fact: cicadas are eaten by humans in various countries, including China, where the nymphs are served deep-fried in Shandong cuisine.
Activities
