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Brood XIX Magicicada Periodical

Brood XIX (19) Periodical Cicadas have emerged in 2024 in Fifteen States

Brood XIX (19) periodical cicadas emerged in the spring of 2024 in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Rotten, but not forgotten, Brood XIX will be back in 2037. Relive the memories: Gene Kritsky released a new book. See what people found iNaturalist: Flagging (Brown Leaves), Brood XIX, Massospora, and Blue and White eyes. Buy a shirt. Yes, Brood XIII also emerged in 2024, but they did not overlap.

What, when, where, and why:

What:

Millions of these cicadas:
Adult, Nymph, Molting Cicada

  • Cicada insects with a 13-year life cycle.
  • Some people call them “locusts” but they are cicadas. (Locusts are grasshoppers.)
  • Which species: All four 13-year species:
  • The last time Brood XIX emerged was in 2011.
  • NOT the green cicadas that arrive annually.

Brood XIX has a 13-year cycle. It is interesting because it features both Magicicada neotredecim and Magicicada tredecim. These cicadas are very similar in song and appearance, but in areas where they overlap, Magicicada neotredecim alters its song to a higher pitch, which allows female cicadas to determine the species of their prospective mates. Visit Cicadas @ UCONN for more info on this behavior.

M. tredecim also have more orange on their abdomen than M. neotredecim.
Compare 13 year decims

When: Typically beginning in mid-May and ending in late June. These cicadas will begin to emerge approximately when the soil 8 inches beneath the ground reaches 64 degrees Fahrenheit. A nice, warm rain will often trigger an emergence.

Other tips: these cicadas will emerge after the trees have grown leaves, and, by my own observation, around the same time Iris flowers bloom.

Where:

View the live maps on iNaturalist.

  1. Alabama counties: Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Calhoun, Chambers, Choctaw, Clarke, Colbert, Crenshaw, Elmore, Etowah, Greene, Lawrence, Limestone, Lowndes, Monroe, Montgomery, Russell, Sumter, Tallapoosa, Wilcox
  2. Alabama cities: Huntsville, Lowndesboro, Talladega
  3. Arkansas counties: Boone, Futon, Howard, Izard, Lawrence, Marion, Montgomery, Pike, Scott, Searcy, Sevier, Sharp, Washington, Yell
  4. Georgia counties: Bibb, Bleckley, Butts, Columbia, Elbert, Greene, Harris, Houston, Jasper, McDuffie, Monroe, Muscogee, Oconee, Peach, Pulaski, Putnam, Richmond, Stephens, Taliaferro, Troup, Waren, Wilkes
  5. Georgia cities: LaGrange, Lincolnton, Rome, Washington.
  6. Illinois counties: Adams, Brown, Calhoun, Cass, Champaign, Clark, Clay, Coles, Cumberland, De Witt, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hancock, Iroquois, Jefferson, Johnson, Marion, Massac, Morgan, Moultrie, Pike, Pope, Saline, Shelby, Vermillion, Washington, Williamson
  7. Illinois cities: Charleston, Decatur, Wamac
  8. Kentucky counties: Allen, Caldwell, Christian, Trigg
  9. Louisiana parishes: Caddo, Claiborne, Madison, Morehouse, Ouachita, Washington, Webster. Parish information comes from older literature, and might not be as accurate as recent information.
  10. Maryland counties: St Marys
  11. Missouri counties: Adair, Boone, Callaway, Carter, Clark, Cooper, Dent, iron, Jackson, Knox, Louis, Lincoln, Macon, Maries, Marion, Montgomery, Morgan, Oregon, Osage, Pettis, Phelps, Ralls, Reynolds, St. Carles, St Francois, St Louis
  12. Missouri cities: Columbia, Gerald, Manchester, Pevely, Poplar Bluff, St. Louis, Troy
  13. Mississippi counties: Kemper, Newton
  14. North Carolina counties: Buncombe, Cabarrus, Chatham, Davidson, Davie, Durham, Gaston, Guilford, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Orange, Randolph, Rowan, Stanly, Union, Wake
  15. North Carolina cities: Apex, Baldwin Township, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Durham, Harrisburg, Mebane, New Hill, Pittsboro, Raleigh, Waxhaw
  16. Oklahoma counties: McCurtain
  17. South Carolina counties: Abbeville, Aiken, Anderson, Cherokee, Chester, Edgefield, Greenwood, Lancaster, Lexington, McCormick, Newberry, Oconee, Saluda, Union, York
  18. South Carolina cities: Chester, Little Mountain, Rock Hill, Saluda, Tullahoma, Winnsboro
  19. Tennessee counties: Blount, Cheatham, Clay, Coffee, Davidson, Grundy, Hamilton, Jackson, Loudon, Macon, Marion, McMinn, Meigs, Putnam, Rutherford, Sequatchie, Smith, Stewart, Summer, Williamson
  20. Tennessee cities: Gallatin, Lebanon, Nashville, Spring Hill
  21. Virginia counties: Caroline, Glouchester, Halifax, James City, King and Queen, King William, Middlesex, New Kent, York
  22. Virginia cities: Alexandria, Stafford, Williamsburg

More Location Tips:

Why: Why do they stay underground for 13 years? The prevailing research suggests they’ve evolved a long, 13-year lifecycle allowing them to avoid predators that would sync up with their lifecycle & emergence. Why are there so many?! Research suggests that their huge numbers allow them to overwhelm predators, so enough of them will live on to breed and perpetuate the brood.

More facts and fun:

1907 Map from Marlatt, C.L.. 1907. The periodical cicada. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Bureau of Entomology.

See a modern map or the Live Map from the Cicada Safari app.
Marlatt 1907 19 Brood XIX

What happened in 2011? Here’s some old blog posts with comments:

What happened in 1998? Here’s our message board from then:

  1. Cicada Mail from June 1998
  2. Cicada Mail from May 1999

87 replies on “Brood XIX (19) Periodical Cicadas have emerged in 2024 in Fifteen States”

It’s too quiet around here June 3rd, 2024. Have not seen a living cicada since May 31 here in Troy, NC. Is Brood XIX all gone now? Do field entomologists go out and confirm when it’s over? Also, the only little bodies I can find now are all female. Do the males die off sooner after all that singing and mating, leaving the females last to lay their eggs and die?

Collected deceased specimens of apparent M. tredecassini tonight in Friendsville, TN (Blount County). Very large emergence happened at a friend’s house, but we were only able to make it out today. Low numbers still singing and few still alive. All black abdomens, very small size, no color patch behind eye near wing insertion.

May 31 in Troy, NC and I did actually see a cicada flying from one tree to another! I could still hear very faint singing in the woods with an occasional “pharaoh” sound. May 30 was a tad louder and I got a video to record the sound. Also managed to catch a glimpse of two in flight. I’m actually in the Uwharrie National Forest (not in the town of Troy) so much more nature here. Trees have lots of flagging now. Hoping I’ll see one or hear some tomorrow, June 1st!

It’s May 29, 2024, and things are quiet now in Troy, NC. I did manage to hear some faint singing in the woods next to my property and saw two flying from one tree to another. Happened too quickly to get a picture or video. Wish I had started using the Cicada Safari app earlier but managed to get a few good pics of live ones before I “rescued” them and put them back on a tree or bush. They seemed too vulnerable on the ground, so I tried to “help”, but now I don’t see any more live ones around my yard or barn.
I’m happy to see some activity, but it’s definitely winding down. I’ll miss them…wish they stayed around a little longer for more concerts courtesy of mother nature. Looking forward to 2037!

Hey everyone! I am leaving Pennsylvania on Sunday for Nashville, Saint Louis and Chicago to photograph and collect specimens from the two Broods.

I could really use help from this group as I only have four days to do the circuitous route. If anyone let me know of any publicly accessible parks where the periodical cicadas are, please let me know! You can leave comments here, but sending them to my email address is better. KeystoneNHPF@gmail.com

Thanks so much! Dean Evans, Keystone Natural History Preservation Foundation

These cicadas are all over Tullahoma, TN now btw. In huge numbers. I don’t see us on the map. Coffee Co. should be included.

Is there any reason why cicadas do not emerge in Randolph county in Alabama?

Two small cicada exoskeletons were found this morning, clinging to the seams of the greenhouse cover which was protecting my potted citrus trees inside. 2 days ago, my husband had encountered a single live cicada, which was clinging to black material under the shelter in our backyard. We are barely in Marion County, IL as our tiny township is “Wamac,” named after 3 counties. (Washington, Marion and Clinton) Our zip is 62801, if that’s helpful. Occurrence had taken place within about a foot of my 6 year old potted flowering dogwood shrub! I read that cicadas like to fly toward tall silhouettes. (trees, of course and humans) Just fearing for my now flowering shrub, but at the same time, am looking forward to this happening. Be ready, YouTube!!!

You can add Marshall County to Tennessee. I’m seeing and hearing a lot of them between Chapel Hill and I65. This is about halfway between Nashville and Huntsville AL

I live in New Hill ,NC 1/2 mile from east side of Jordan Lake . The cicadas are so loud they wake me up in the morning. After the rain yesterday they were even louder and if a plane goes over (rare) they get even louder. I have about 10 acres of mostly mature hardwoods trees , some are white Oaks which were planted in 1923. I leave the woods completely natural . I leave fallen trees to rot naturally .
Luckily my dog is not eating them as a neighbors dog finds them tasty and has to be kept on a leash.
I’m told we may have a million per acre. My dead end road has a couple of hundred acres of trees largely pines and hardwoods .
When I use my cell phone people ask me what is that noise? That’s how loud it is.
Just wonderful!

Forgive me if it’s been asked already… is southern Virginia going to see more than what is there now? Or has the emergence not really fully begun there yet? Thanks!

Definitely numerous in Greene County Ga. And loud! Not familiar with XIX. Was not expecting the angry red eyes. Seems to be a much lower pitch than the cicadas I have heard over my 70+ years. Fortunately inside house, this pitch does not seem as loud.

Add Colbert County, Alabama to your list of locations. I have hundreds emerging daily in my yard, which is quite wooded. Unlike a couple of the other commenters who think they are a nuisance, I find them very interesting.

They have descended upon Apex, NC, near downtown, as of end of last weekend/beginning of this week. Shells everywhere, but they seem to be dying pretty soon after they emerge. Almost as many dead mature/black, as there are shells. Clearly, whatever predators they have, are having a field day. The most eerie part is that there is no noise here where there are so many shells…however, in the background, there is a slightly loud noise that sounds like an obnoxious professional car alarm, or large industrial plant alarm system, going off from early morning til dusk. Gotta be them. I was even digging a hole last weekend for a small tree & one was wriggling around down in the soil, about 6-8 inches down, still shelled version, of course…but crazy to see even that, along w/ the others who were already hatched & hanging around.

It’s last day of April I just photographed 1 hatched from the exoskeleton still white in Jackson county alabama I didn’t see us on the map are they any albino cicada I didn’t know they were this color when they first emerged out

They turn black once their skin hardens… unless they die when they’re white in which case they’ll be white forever.

Thanks for the tip on the location!

By Post Author

We were in Ocmulgee National Historical Park near Macon, GA and there were red eyed cicadas in most of the woodland trails surrounding the mounds.

I don’t know what the soil temp is — the air temp has been in the 80’s for over a week — but they started appearing today (April 20th) on our farm in Harris County, GA.

They are definitely here in greenwood sc. Seems like millions around my apt building. Or maybe it seems like that many because these things freak me out!! There ugly. I’m terrified of them! Sure wish I knew they were coming. Definitely would had been more prepared 🙁

I live in country south of Columbia,SC just miles from the Congaree River. Should I cover roses and young trees to be safe if the Cicada XIX brood flies my way

I think Columbia is south of the Brood, looking at this map.
They mostly go for deciduous trees (maple, oak, elm, apple, pear, peach) and ornamental trees (red maple, plants native to Asia), and not so much shrubs.

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Hi Dan,

This is Patricia. I wrote to you on April 10 below. Would you be able to answer my two questions? It would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Patricia

Hello! Does anyone know when the cicadas might emerge in Tennessee? Specifically around Great Smoky Mountains NP area? I’ve seen a few different time periods mentioned!

When they emerge depends on the weather. They wait until the soil under the ground gets heated to about 65 degrees Fahrenheit, so once the weather above the ground is consistently in the high 70s. The should be out by middle of May and peaking around June 1st.

By Post Author

Hello! Another question that I have is about the timing of the emergence in Georgia. I’ve been monitoring the soil temperature, and the 8″ temperature is creeping up, but right now it’s about 56 degrees. Do you think that’s on target for them to emerge in mid-May? I’ve seen some news sites that are predicting mid-April, so I was wondering what your thoughts are on that. Thanks!

Hi! I see that Fulton County Georgia isn’t on the list of counties that will see the emergence of cicadas in 2024. Is this certain, or do cicadas have a history of surprising us when it comes to where they pop up?

I’m 65 always notice sound then my kids always finding them fascinating but hurt my ears my husband’s sister was visiting one year from Pennsylvania said what is that awful sound? What is it when we told her she said I couldn’t stand it that awful I laughed at her I said crickets frogs too make a lot racket here. I can’t stand bugs that get inside my home but I try catch those black ones throw them outside Chinese say they’re good luck and stay near warm hearths in homes my daughter has a Chinese basket that has design on it of one of them she was looking up info we believe it’s like cricket cage for one to catch and keep the insect in it. It pretty basketdeal.

We had a massive hatch right around our house in 2011 (brood 19). We had friends over, and our planned activity was put on hold so our friend who is a Master Naturalist and a wildlife photographer could get photos. They were just hatched that morning; still white and soft, and climbing anything they could find to dry out. My husband found an unfortunate one that had been snagged by a northern Widow spider in the grass, and she got a lot of photos of that! It was such a large hatch, but our county in VA shows nothing. I guess no one thought to report it.

uffda! can’t say i’m jealous of the states that are supposed to be infested with these little buggers. a couple years ago, we had a huge asian beetle problem in minnesota. whole front door of my old house was covered for about three months straight

We live in Macon county Illinois and in 2011 we had so many in our backyard you couldn’t walk without them crawling up your legs. They were all over the deck and ours trees. When they died we raked piles and piles of the stinking things! I’m not excited but I would love if someone could tell me what to spray on our yard to kill these suckers! I can’t believe anyone wants to come when they’re here! I want to leave!.

I am sorry that you do not understand the wondrous and amazing things that nature has to offer! I’ll be planning my vacation to come to Illinois to experience this! I am so appreciative of what this wonderful life has to offer!

We are interested in going to a place that where it is likely that both broods will be emerging around the same time. We will be camping and want to find a campground nearby.

@Debbi — there’s no location where they both emerge, but one of the closest areas where they do emerge is Springfield, Illinois. Brood XIII is about 10mi to the north, and Brood XIX 10mi to the south. You’re definitely going to see transportation to see both.

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An observation every year of the periodical cicadas we have an abundance of fruit especially cherries and grapes on our trees I guess the birds are more interested in eating meat than they are fruit

very interesting. i live in southeast missouri and will definitely be watching. i will share my findings if any emerge or overlap.

Hi Dan, my question is: if there is overlap on location for emergence of Brood XIII and XIX, can they be separated by morphology or song?

After chatting with David Marshall, there aren’t any known places where they actually overlap. They’re about 3 miles apart at the closest, and about 10 miles apart in the Springfield, IL area. (I mention Springfield because it’s a place that’s easy to find for cicada tourists). That said, I think the complimentary 17 & 13 year species songs are very similar. I think David Marshal and John Cooley did the most research on this topic and they would know best. Within Brood XIX, M. neotredecim changes its song in the presence of M. tredecim. See the Reproductive Character Displacement section of this page https://cicadas.uconn.edu/brood_19/.

By Post Author

We have found no noticeable difference between the 13- and 17-yr sibling species near the 13/17 contact zone in Indiana/Illinois/Iowa/Missouri. However, 13-yr M. tredecim and 17-yr M. septendecim consistently differ in song pitch (ca. 1.4 kHz for septendecim, ca. 1.1 kHz for tredecim, so from about Kentucky eastward, where sep rather than neo is in contact with tre, you will find a difference between them. However, none of those eastern brood pairs will co-emerge for a long time.

We’re not yet aware of any 13/17 song differences in the cassini or decula groups.

Hello, does naybody have a website I c ould visit to show the schedule of all types of Cicadas over the next 20 years or so?

The Wasp that eat the cicadas Killed one of my American Eskimo puppies and had to rush a second puppy to an emergency clinic and save her life after.
Be careful with small puppies out sidew they make a nest on the surrounding dirt.

Maybe this isn’t the right page for it, but as someone interested in “cicada tourism” I would very much like a map that showed anticipated areas of brood 13 & brood 19 overlap. Bonus points if areas colored for “anticipate some overlap” vs “anticipate major overlap”

They’re in the same county, but I doubt there’s a major overlap. It’s hard to say because they last time it happened was 221 years ago. Go to this page and there’s a “Figure 5 from Stannard (1975).” that shows where the two broods share counties.

By Post Author

What I want to know is this how come every time they come back out they are always a different color and design? one year they were camoflage,another year they were a pretty yellow and white color.i jeard it was every 7 year they came out so whats going on?

Yo Dan My Dude, Is anyone doing a cool genetics project in the overlap areas of 13 and 19 this year? Would we even be able to see an SNP or something special that differentiates them genetically? Could they mate and have functional babies? What time schedule would those babies be on? SO many funnnn questions 🙂

Kaydubs 🙂

Very interesting. The folks I know that do most of the genetics are UCONN folks like Chris Simon and John Cooley. I think Chris is retired, but still active (emeritus), but John is still active. I have to check to see how much actual overlap there is. I know they’re in the same county but not sure if they’re in the same precise area. I have to check with Chris and John.

By Post Author

…I am on the border of St. Francois county,near Washington county. I hear a couple every year it seems, but its been a long time since the nights have been deafening with them. I have a few young peach trees, live in the rural woods. Do I need to do anything to protect my young peach trees.? Will I see an influx of small critters? Thanks

After a few decades of amateur insect collecting since I was a kid in grade school, I have noticed that this range map is incorrect in regards to Eastern Oklahoma counties (the western terminus of the ozark plateau, esp. Boston Mts., not the prairies). The excellent entomology dept. at OSU and the dept. at OU does surveys in my area. We have both 2024 broods, along with several other species of cicadas. I’m sure this range map will be updated to show a more natural dispersion, rather than having an information gap that creates an artificial dispersion that ends at the AR/OK border. I imagine the range of these insects extends across the entire Ozark plateau, even to us living on the edges. I love trying to catch a peek them crawling up the trees. It happens for such a short period, that it’s always a real treat to see some exoskeletons that are still wiggling!

I live in New Orleans USA snd thought I heard a cicada singing yesterday afternoon. Just once. We had a lot of cicadas this past season here. Is it possible this was a cicada?

why is NYS left out of this cicada forecast ? I’m in the Hudson Valley , NY (NYC metro area) . I saw the other broods emerge , right on sched : 1990 and 2007 . They were big and impressive. Now, if you look at this article ; they act like NY won’t have ANY cicadas. I’m here to tell you , we get them and i expect them in 2024 . And i’m excited too !!!!

Cicada’s are all over Irving, TX where I live. They disappeared about a month ago but they were so loud I couldn’t hear the person next to me talk. It’s interesting how their noise level goes in waves. I would love to know what type we have and if 2023 was an overlapping of broods? Or if 2024 will be even worse? All summer long I was cleaning up carcasses off my porch.

I have at least three early _Magicicada tredecassini_, singing 30 May to date (04 June, 2023) Rural Butler County Kansas, near Towanda I have a 28 second Recording available.

I hear a cicada or two…I am on the border of St. Francois county, in Washington county mo. Would this be brood 19 early birds?

Sangamon County (Springfield) IL is not listed as a Brood XIX area, but it is highlighted in the 2020 stragglers map.

Hi! Didn’t see Greenwood, SC on the list for Brood XIX but we absolutely got them in 2011! <3 Can't wait to see them again.

They were definitely in Greenwood. Unlike you, I am not looking forward to their reemergence next year. They were everywhere and the noise was incredible. Sounded like car alarms going off nonstop.

They are emerging by the hundreds today in Channahon IL. 60410. I wasn’t expecting any this year , but I wasn’t really keeping track. We are on the edge of will and grundy county

We have had hundreds of these little creatures come up around our front porch in the past week or so. I have had to sweep them up and gather them with a shovel just to clear a path to get out of the house without stepping on them. Those that are not in the way we leave alone. We have 2 puppies who have also been helping :-/

Hey David, can you share approximately where you’re located? Are there any good camping places? I really want to go camp somewhere this weekend where I can see the brood emerging :).

“What, when, where, and why:”

No “why” is provided for early emergence Brood 19

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