Category: Broods

Magicicada periodical cicada Broods.

Periodical cicada Brood X (10) will emerge in 15 states in 2021

Post author By Dan
Post date January 9, 2021
614 Comments on Periodical cicada Brood X (10) will emerge in 15 states in 2021

Brood X 2021

Brood X emerged in Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York (not yet extinct), Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington D.C. Report them with the Cicada Safari app. Use the hashtag #BroodX or #BroodXCicadas on social media.

LATEST NEWS:

Enjoy this video from 2021:

12/27/21: Dr. Gene Kritsky’s retrospective on the 2021 Brood X emergence has been published on the America Entomologist website.

In the news:

NJ.com: Cicadas invade N.J. town where aliens landed in ‘War of the Worlds’.
New York Times: The Case of the Disappearing Cicadas
Bloomberg CityLab: To Map Billions of Cicadas, it Takes Thousands of Citizen Scientists
NJ.com: Big 2021 cicada invasion hasn’t started yet in N.J., but some early cicadas have arrived
Washington Post: Get ready! We predict cicadas will begin emerging next week.
c|net: Billions of bugs: Meet the cicada chasers trailing Brood X.
Fstoppers: Photographers Should Put This on Their Calendar Right Now: The Brood X Cicada Storm in Eastern U.S.

Interesting merch:

A nice Magicicada pin by Carolyn Belefski
A Brood X Cicada Notebook for documenting your cicada experiences.
Cicadas Don’t Scream Activity Book.
Gene Kritsky’s Periodical Cicadas: The Brood X Edition
Sue Fink’s Cicada Suite (music) comes with a cicada shaped flash drive.

Articles about Brood X, a retrospective:

What, when, where, and why:

What are these cicadas?

Billions of these insects:

Adult, Nymph, Molting Cicada

Black, orange and red Cicada insects with a 17-year life cycle.
Some people call them “locusts” but they’re really cicadas.
Which species: All three 17-year species, Magicicada septendecim, Magicicada cassini and Magicicada septendecula. How to tell the difference between the species.
NOT the green ones that arrive annually.

When will these cicadas emerge:

Typically beginning in May and ending in late June. These cicadas will begin to emerge approximately when the soil 8" beneath the ground reaches 64 degrees Fahrenheit. A nice, warm rain will often trigger an emergence. Back in 2004, people began reporting emergences around May, 13th, but if the weather is warmer, it might start in late April. Update: in 2021, they started in Tennessee on 4/27.

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

Magicicada on an iris flower in Scotch Plains by Judy Lanfredi

Where will these cicadas emerge:

Cicadas @ UCONN has the most up to date map. If you see a cicada and want to report it, the Cicada Safari App is available for Android and Apple devices .

Here’s my list from 2004. Green highlight means adults have emerged in 2021!

Delaware:

Delaware counties: Kent, New Castle, Sussex.

Delaware places: Newark, Wilmington.

Georgia:

Georgia counties: Gilmer, Murray, Union, White, .

Georgia places: Blairsville, Blue Ridge, Chatsworth, Ellijay, Fort Mountain State Park, Norcross.

Illinois:

Illinois counties: Edgar, Clark, Cook, Crawford, Vermilion.

Illinois places: Marshall, Park Forest, University Park.

Indiana:

Indiana counties: Brown, Clark, Clay, Columbus, Crawford, Daviess, Dearborn, Dubois, Fountain, Gibson, Greene, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Lawrence, Marion, Martin, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Orange, Owen, Parke, Perry, Pike, Ripley, Spencer, Sullivan, Vanderburgh, Vigo, Warrick, Waveland, Washington.

Indiana places: Aurora, Bloomington, Brookville, Clinton Falls, Dillsboro, Fishers, French Lick, Henryville, Indianapolis, Lawrenceburg, Lexington, Martinsville, McCormick’s Creek State Park, Nashville, New Pelkin, North Vernon, Salem, Skiles Test Park, Spencer.

Kentucky:

Kentucky counties: Boone, Breckenridge, Bullitt, Carroll, Daviess, Gallatin, Grayson, Hardin, Henry, Jefferson, Livingston, La Rue, McLean, Muhlenberg, Nelson, Ohio, Oldham, Trimble.

Kentucky places: Big Bone Lick State Park, Covington, Dayton, Dry Ridge, Eastview, Florence, Ft. Thomas, Georgetown, Grand Rivers, Hebron, Highland Heights, Louisville, Newport, Villa Hills.

Maryland:

Maryland counties: Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Cecil, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Howard, Montgomery, Prince Georges, Washington.

Maryland places: Abingdon, Annapolis, Aspen Hill, Baltimore (learn about the Baltimore Cicada Art project), Bel Air, Beltsville, Berwyn Heights, Bethesda, Bowie, Brooklandville, Brooklyn Park, Catonsville, Chevy Chase, Clarksville, Clinton, Colesville, College Park, Columbia, Cockeysville, Crofton, Cumberland, District Heights, Eldersburg, Elkridge, Elkton, Ellicott City, Fair Hill, Fallston, Forestville, Four Corners, Gaithersburg, Gambrills, Germantown, Glen Burnie, Glenelg, Greenbelt, Gwynn Oak, Hagerstown, Hanover, Havre De Grace, Hillcrest Heights, Hunt Valley, Hyattsville, Hydes, Jessup, Kensington, Landover Hills, Laurel, Linthicum, Loch Raven watershed, Lutherville, Odenton, Oella, Onley, Owings Mills, Pikesville, Potomac, Randallstown, Reisterstown, Riverdale, Rockville, Severna Park, Sharpsburg, Silver Spring, Takoma Park, Timonium, Towson, Travilah, Wheaton, Woodbine.

Want a FREE cicada book? In the DC area? Visit Lulu Florist, 4801 St. Elmo Ave., Bethesda, MD, and ask for a free copy of Cicada: Exotic Views by Davy Shian.

Michigan:

Michigan counties: Hillsdale, Washtenaw.

Michigan places: Ann Arbor, Canton, Quincy.

New Jersey:

New Jersey counties: Burlington, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Salem, Somerset, Warren.

New Jersey places: Alexandria, Allerton, Annandale, Asbury, Belle Mead, Bethlehem Township, Berkeley Heights, Bloomsbury, Browns Mills, Carpentersville, Clinton, Clinton Township, Cranbury, Delaware Township, East Amwell Township, Flemington, Franklin Park, Franklin Township (Somerset), Franklin Township (Warren), Frenchtown, Greenwich Township, Grover’s Mill, Hampton, Harmony, Hillsborough Township, Holland Township, Hopewell Township, Kendall Park, Kingston, Kingwood Township, Lambertville, Lawrence, Lebanon, Merrill Creek Reservoir, Milford, Montgomery, Monmouth Junction, Morristown, Mt. Rose, Pennington, Perryville, Phillipsburg, Plainsboro Township, Pittstown, Pohatcong Township, Princeton, Princeton Junction, Princeton Meadows, Prallsville, Raritan Township, Raven Rock, Readington Township, Ringoes, Rosemont, Rocky Hill, Skillman, Sourland Mountain, South Brunswick Township, Stanton, Stewartsville, Stockton, Union Township (Hunterdon), Voorhees Corner, West Windsor Township.

There’s an abundance of large parks and natural areas around Princeton.

New York (Long Island):

New York counties: Suffolk (but extinct, or nearly so, but still look for them – Newsday article).

New York places: All on Long Island, but based on the 2004 emergence, they might be extinct. Some were seen in East Setauket, Connetquot River State Park, Ronkonkoma, Stony Brook. In 1987 they were seen in Shirley, Ronkonkoma, Bohemia, Connetquot River State Park, Oakdale, and Setauket.

In Long Island? Please read this article!.

North Carolina:

North Carolina counties: Buncombe, Cherokee, Surry, Wilkes.

North Carolina places: Apex, Elkin, Morganton, Murphy, Roaring River, Weaverville.

Ohio:

Ohio counties: Butler, Clermont, Defiance, Franklin, Greene, Hamilton, Logan, Montgomery.

Ohio places: Amelia, Anderson Twp, Battelle Darby Park, Batavia, Bellbrook, Camden, Centerville, Cincinnati, Columbus, Defiance, Delaware, Delhi Twp, Dublin, Fairfield, Galloway, Hamilton, Kettering, Lewisburg, Lockland, Miamisburg, Olmsted Falls, Oxford, Paint Creek State Park, Springfield, St. Bernard, West Carrollton, West Chester.

Pennsylvania:

Pennsylvania counties: Adams, Bedford, Berks, Bucks, Chester, Columbia, County, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Lancaster, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mercer, Montgomery, Northampton, Perry, Schuylkill, Somerset, York.

Pennsylvania places:Archbald, Artemas, Bedford, Carroll Valley, Coopersburg, Dinosaur Rock, Downingtown, Erwinna, Gettysburg, Green Lane, Kintnersville, Lake Nockamixon, Lancaster, Lititz, Lumberville, Malvern, Mertztown, Metal Township, Mohnton, Mt Gretna, New Hope, Oaks, Oley, Perkasie, Perkiomenville, Phoenixville, Pipersville, Pittston, Plumstead Township, Point Pleasant, Quakertown, Red Lion, Roaring Spring, Solebury Township, Spring Mount, Stewartstown, Tinicum Township, Topton, Uhlerstown, Upper Black Eddy, Warwick Park, Williams Township.

Special note for folks in the Philly area: Is Philly Being Snubbed Again?.

Tennessee:

Tennessee counties: Blount, Greene, Hamblen, Hamilton, Jefferson, Knox, Polk, Roane, Sumner, Washtington, Wilson.

Tennessee places: Benton, Copperhill, Farragut, Fayetteville, Knoxville, Oak Ridge, Powell, Signal Mountain.

Virginia:

Virginia counties: Arlington, Clarke, County, Dulles Smithsonian National Aircraft and Space Museum, Fairfax, Fauquier, Frederick, Loudoun, Shenandoah, Warren, Winchester.

Virginia places: Alexandria, Annandale, Arlington, Ashburn, Centreville, Chantilly, Clearbrook, Del Ray, Doswell, Dunn Loring, Fairfax, Falls Church, Franconia, Gore, Hampton Roads, Haymarket, Herndon, Lorton, Lovettsville, Manassas, McLean, Merrifield, Oakton, Reston, Springfield, Sterling, Vienna, White Post, Winchester.

West Virginia:

West Virginia counties: Berkeley, Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, Mineral, Morgan.

West Virginia places: Inwood, Martinsburg, New Creek, Paw Paw.

Washington D.C.

DC Brood X

Washington D.C. places: Washington D.C.

Want a FREE cicada book? In the DC area? Visit Lulu Florist, 4801 St. Elmo Ave., Bethesda, MD, and ask for a free copy of Cicada: Exotic Views by Davy Shian.

More Location Tips:

Reports of Brood X cicadas that emerged early in 2017.
City data comes from May 2004 reports and June 2004 reports.
Not sure? Ask someone in your community who lived there 17 years ago.

Example Emergence Timeline

This is an example of a typical cicada emergence. The exact dates will depend on the weather and density of the emergence in your location. Hot weather means an early start and quicker finish to the season — cool weather means a later start, and a protracted season.

Example Emergence Timeline

Here’s an Excel version of the chart. Feel free to use it and adjust it to match your experience.

Or watch the video version:

Some interesting things to look for

	Lean why many cicada wings are striveled up or damaged.
	Learn about the Massospora cicadina fungus they share.
	Look for cicadas with blue, white or other colored eyes.
	Look for Mosaic pigment disorders.

Why do cicadas:

Why do they stay underground for 17-years? The prevailing research suggests they’ve evolved a long, 17-year lifecycle to avoid predators that can 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.

Should you plant?

If you’re planting trees, wait until July. If your yard doesn’t get cicadas by the first week of June, it’s probably safe to plant in June. It’s the egg-laying that does damage. Talk to an arborist or tree expert if you’re actually concerned. I can’t answer your questions.

More facts and fun:

New! Cicada Mania Crossword Puzzle. It isn’t easy.
New! Cicada Mania Bingo!
Use the correct image and the correct language when talking about these cicadas. Here’s some images you can share.
Use the Periodical Cicada Emergence Checklist for the Maximum Magicicada Experience.
All cicada questions that are frequently asked.
A video to help you tell the difference between the species.
The 17 Most Interesting Periodical cicada facts.

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

Things have changed since 1907. See the modern UConn Cicada Map, or the Live Map from the Cicada Safari app.
Marlatt 1907 10 Brood X

Leave a comment below, or join the Cicada Discussion & Science Group on Facebook.

Brood II Cicada Mania Magicicada Periodical

Dan’s Cicada Diary for 1996

Post author By Dan
Post date January 1, 2021
2 Comments on Dan’s Cicada Diary for 1996

Here’s something I wrote in 1996 to chronicle the Brood II cicada emergence in 1996. It’s probably meant to be semi-humorous.

Dan’s Cicada Diary for 1996.

Sunday, May 19th: Metuchen, New Jersey; I found the first desiccated cicada nymph exoskeleton on my patio. My cat disappears.

Tuesday, May 21st: I found about 40 nymph exoskeletons on my patio, a pine tree, and a maple tree. I also spotted an adult climbing the maple and two crippled adults rolling about the base of the tree.

Wednesday, May 22nd: Bonanza! I found about 500 adults perched on just about everything in my yard: trees, patio furniture, the foundation of my home, the garden hose, garbage cans, the missing cat’s water dish, my hair…just plain everywhere! Gruesome!

Saturday, May 25th: Avenel, New Jersey; Party at the Ritzow’s. Literally, hundreds of adult cicadas perched high above in oak trees sneer at decadent humans sipping martini’s, playing croquet. Bourgeois homo sapiens…bah humbug!

Thursday, May 30th: Metuchen, New Jersey; Still no sign of the cat. Sitting outside on my patio around 8:30 pm I hear a “snap”, “crackle” and “popping” sound. Rice Crispies? No. More like cicadas nymphs crawling out of their holes and onto my garden wall to molt into adulthood. Not the loveliest sight.

Saturday, June 1st: Westfield, New Jersey; Dave Wilson and Claire Adas’ wedding. A beautiful ceremony and reception, with the exception of the 9000 uninvited cicadas: crawling up people’s legs, crunching underfoot, landing in refreshments…a moment to cherish and remember!

Tuesday, June 4th: North Edison, New Jersey; The cicadas have begun to sing! All together they sound like a Boeing 767 is circling 40 feet overhead. The sound is that awesome. 10 inch deep piles of dying post-coitus adults litter the base of trees. The invasion has only begun!

Wednesday, June 5th – Monday, June 17th: Metuchen, North Edison, Colonia, Avenel, New Jersey; The invasion is in full effect! Homeowners in North Edison and Colonia report having to haul away the dying bodies of cicadas inwheelbarrows! Residents describe the cicadas’ combined mating screams as “loud as a UFO” [how do they know what a UFO sounds like?] and “like a Mack Truck was floating ten foot above your head”! Someone even told me cicadas taste like shrimp! I guess they made the best of a bad situation.

Wednesday, June 26th: Metuchen, New Jersey; It appears the invasion is over. All that remains is the dismembered, rotting corpses and the memories, sweet, sweet, memories. But remember, They’ll be back…in the year 2013!

Saturday, August 3rd: Metuchen, New Jersey; Looking out my second-story window I can clearly see the damage done by the 17-year cicadas. Brown patches of dead leaves speckle local oak and maple trees, revealing the branches where the female cicada has chosen to lay her eggs; an interesting “natural disaster”, but, not as heart-breaking as an earthquake or a flood. Clearly, the most provocative news regarding cicadas is the current hatch of annual cicadas, which are larger than the “17-year” cicadas (thoroughly illustrated within this web page) and greener. Another dissimilarity is the difference in their respective mating calls: while the “17-year” cicada makes a whirring sound somewhere between the motor of a vacuum cleaner and a car alarm, the “annual” cicada sounds more like a lawn sprinkler or maybe a sewing machine. Although I can clearly hear hundreds of “annual” cicadas and I have found their shells, I haven’t visually located a single one! Another cicada-related event has been the recent hatch of “cicada killer” wasps. These two-inch long giant wasps only prey upon, our friend, the defenseless cicada. I haven’t located these creatures either, but, they are definitely out there. Cicadas beware!

Wednesday, August 26th: Metuchen, New Jersey; the Tibicen cicadas continue to sing…

Wednesday, November 6th: Metuchen, New Jersey; they are all dead or sucking on roots underground.

Brood IX Music

Southern Culture On The Skids – Cicada Rock 2020 (Brood IX)

Post author By Dan
Post date July 30, 2020
1 Comment on Southern Culture On The Skids – Cicada Rock 2020 (Brood IX)

Southern Culture On The Skids released a cicada-themed song for 2020: Cicada Rock 2020 (Brood IX). Enjoy!

Accelerations Brood XIII Magicicada Periodical Stragglers U.S.A.

Chicago Area Periodical Cicada Emergences in 2020

Post author By Dan
Post date July 12, 2020
10 Comments on Chicago Area Periodical Cicada Emergences in 2020

Many periodical cicadas emerged four years early in the Chicago area in 2020. These cicadas belong to the Brood XIII (13) which is set to emerge in 2024, and last emerged in 2007. Periodical cicadas often emerge in years proceeding or following the year their brood is expected to emerge. This phenomenon is called straggling. Most of the time these “stragglers” emerge in small numbers and are quickly eaten by predators, and do not go on to sing, chorus (synchronized singing for the purpose of attracting females), mate, and lay eggs. Sometimes they emerge in numbers large enough to survive, chorus, and reproduce — this seems to have happened in the Chicago area in 2020. It is thought this is how new broods formed over the millennia — cicadas emerge 4 or 1 year early in significant numbers and form a new brood. When enough stragglers emerge to successfully reproduce it is called an acceleration.

So, is a new brood forming around Chicago? Is this due to climate change or localized “heat islands”? Will the progeny of these stragglers emerge in 13, 17 or 21 years? Lots of questions — but we’ll need to wait quite some time to answer them.

There is a precedence for Brood XIII cicadas straggling in the Chicago area:

In 1969 massive numbers of periodical cicadas emerged in the Chicago suburbs ¹ (Williams, K.S. & Simon, C. 1995).

In 1986, another 4-year acceleration was observed in the Chicago area by Monte Lloyd ¹.

In 2003, many people left observations on our forums. Observations were made in Glenview, Flossmoor, Riverside, Downers Grove, Homewood, Westmont, Oak Park, and Hinsdale. Here are some examples:

Magicicada emerging this evening

Date: Wednesday, Jun/4/2003

As I went for a walk this evening I noticed quite a few periodic cicadas emerging in the grass, crawling on the sidewalks and on the trunks of trees. This is not our year for the 17-year brood. We should not have them until 2007. Has anyone else in the Chicago area seen these cicadas? — Sue, Flossmoor, IL

Cicada singing

Date: Monday, Jun/9/2003

I heard the cicadas singing for the first time this morning after my walk. Now that I have my doors open I can hear them on and off. — Sue, Flossmoor, IL

In 2020 many people left comments on the Brood XIII page, emailed us (thanks Neil) and left sightings via the Cicada Safari app.

¹Williams, K.S. & Simon, C. 1995. The Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution of Periodical Cicadas. Annual Review of Entomology. Vol. 40:269-295 (https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.en.40.010195.001413).

Brood V Magicicada

Brood V emerging 4 years late

Post author By Dan
Post date June 1, 2020
No Comments on Brood V emerging 4 years late

Looking at the latest map from Cicada Safari app data, it appears that cicadas from Brood V are emerging 4 years late. 4 year Stragglers! 21-year-old cicadas! Look around Akron, Ohio, eastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia.

May 30 map - Now with Brood V

Here’s a link to the Brood V map on Cicadas @ UCONN (formerly Magicicada.org).

For historical purposes, Here’s C. L. Marlatt’s map from 1914:

Marlatt, C.L.. 1914. The periodical cicada in 1914. United States. Bureau of Entomology

Brood IX Magicicada

Magicicada septendecim from Brood IX in Greenbrier County, WV

Post author By Dan
Post date June 1, 2020
3 Comments on Magicicada septendecim from Brood IX in Greenbrier County, WV

Magicicada septendecim cicada from Brood IX in Greenbrier County, WV. Photo by Tony Maro. Thanks Tony!

Tony Maro Greenbrier County WV

Tags M. septendecim

Broods Lamotialnini Magicicada Periodical Periodical Stragglers U.S.A.

Where will 17 & 13 Year Periodical Cicada Broods emerge next (2025)?

Post author By Dan
Post date May 27, 2020
87 Comments on Where will 17 & 13 Year Periodical Cicada Broods emerge next (2025)?

Skip to a section: Broods | Your Town | Pre Emergence Signs | Compare Magicicada Species.

17 & 13 Year Periodical Cicadas

What will happen in 2025:

The Forecast for 2025 is Brood XIV will emerge in Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

We will also get some stragglers from Brood I in Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, and maybe some Brood X stragglers in Maryland (and other Brood X states).

Facts: Over the next 10 years, there’s a 90% chance at least one Magicicada brood will emerge somewhere in the U.S.A. Across time, that percentage falls to 77%. Next year (2026) no Broods will emerge. The next 3 year gap (max gap) is 2043-2045.

Magicicada Brood Chart

The Brood Chart features the names of the broods (Roman numerals), emergence years, cycle-length, straggler-years, species and states where they may emerge.

Brood	Year	Cycle	States
I	2029	17	TN, VA, WV
II	2030	17	CT, GA, MD, NC, NJ, NY, OK, PA, VA
III	2031	17	IA, IL, MO
IV	2032	17	IA, KS, MO, NE, OK, TX
V	2033	17	LI NY, MD, OH, PA, VA, WV
VI	2034	17	GA, NC, SC, WI, OH
VII	2035	17	NY
VIII	2036	17	OH, PA, WV, OK
IX	2037	17	NC, VA, WV
X	2038	17	DE, GA, IL, IN, KY, MD, MI, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, DC
XIII	2041	17	IA, IL, IN, MI, WI
XIV	2025	17	GA, IN, KY, MA, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV
XIX	2037	13	AL, AR, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, VA
XXII	2027	13	KY, LA, MS, OH
XXIII	2028	13	AR, IL, IN, KY, LA, MO, MS, TN

Brood I (1)

Emergences: 2029, 2012, 1995, 1978, 1961.
Cycle: 17-Year.
Stragglers: 2025 (-4), 2028 (-1).
Species: M. septendecim, M. cassini, M. septendecula.
States: TN, VA, WV

Brood II (2)

Emergences: 2030, 2013, 1996, 1979, 1962.
Cycle: 17-Year.
Stragglers: 2026 (-4), 2029 (-1)
Species: M. septendecim, M. cassini, M. septendecula.
States: CT, GA, MD, NC, NJ, NY, OK, PA, VA

Brood III (3)

Emergences: 2031, 2014, 1997, 1980, 1963.
Cycle: 17-Year.
Stragglers: 2027 (-4), 2030 (-1)
Species: M. septendecim, M. cassini, M. septendecula.
States: IA, IL, MO

Brood IV (4)

Emergences: 2032, 2015, 1998, 1981, 1964.
Cycle: 17-Year.
Stragglers: 2028 (-4), 2031 (-1)
Species: M. septendecim, M. cassini, M. septendecula.
States: IA, KS, MO, NE, OK, TX

Brood V (5)

Emergences: 2033, 2016, 1999, 1982, 1965.
Cycle: 17-Year.
Stragglers: 2029 (-4), 2032 (-1)
Species: M. septendecim, M. cassini, M. septendecula.
States: LI NY, MD, OH, PA, VA, WV

Brood VI (6)

Emergences: 2034, 2017, 2000, 1983, 1966.
Cycle: 17-Year.
Stragglers: 2030 (-4), 2933 (-1)
Species: M. septendecim, M. septendecula.
States: GA, NC, SC, WI, OH

Brood VII (7)

Emergences: 2035, 2018, 2001, 1984, 1967.
Cycle: 17-Year.
Stragglers: 2031 (-4), 2034 (-1)
Species: M. septendecim.
States: NY

Brood VIII (8)

Emergences: 2036, 2019, 2002, 1985, 1968.
Cycle: 17-Year.
Stragglers: 2032(-4), 2035(-1)
Species: M. septendecim, M. cassini, M. septendecula.
States: OH, PA, WV and OK

Brood IX (9)

Emergences: 2037, 2020, 2003, 1986, 1969.
Cycle: 17-Year.
Stragglers: 2033(-4), 2036(-1)
Species: M. septendecim, M. cassini, M. septendecula.
States: NC, VA, WV

Brood X (10)

Emergences: 2038, 2021, 2004, 1987, 1970.
Cycle: 17-Year.
Stragglers: 2034(-4), 2037(-1)
Species: M. septendecim, M. cassini, M. septendecula.
States: DE, GA, IL, IN, KY, MD, MI, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, DC

Brood XIII (13)

Emergences: 2041, 2024, 2007, 1990, 1973.
Cycle: 17-Year.
Stragglers: 2025(+1)
Species: M. septendecim, M. cassini, M. septendecula.
States: IA, IL, IN, MI, WI

Brood XIV (14)

Emergences: 2025, 2025, 2008, 1991, 1974, 1957.
Cycle: 17-Year.
Stragglers: 2026(+1)
Species: M. septendecim, M. cassini, M. septendecula.
States: GA, IN, KY, MA, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV

Brood XIX (19)

Emergences: 2037, 2024, 2011, 1998, 1985.
Cycle: 13-Year.
Stragglers: 2025(+1), 2028(+4)
Species: M. tredecim, M. neotredecim, M. tredecassini, M. tredecula.
States: AL, AR, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, VA

Brood XXII (22)

Emergences: 2027, 2014, 2001, 1988, 1975.
Cycle: 13-Year.
Stragglers: 2026(-1), 2032(+4)
Species: M. tredecim, M. tredecassini, M. tredecula.
States: KY, LA, MS, OH

Brood XXIII (23)

Emergences: 2028, 2015, 2002, 1989, 1976.
Cycle: 13-Year.
Stragglers: 2027(-1), 2032(+4)
Species: M. tredecim, M. neotredecim, M. tredecassini, M. tredecula.
States: AR, IL, IN, KY, LA, MO, MS, TN

What specific day will they emerge?

Generally speaking, these cicadas will begin to emerge when the soil 8″ beneath the ground reaches 64 degrees Fahrenheit (Heath, 1968). A nice, warm rain will often trigger an emergence. They can emerge anytime from early April to early June. It all depends on the weather.

What should you look for before they emerge?

Chimneys / Turrets

Look for cicada chimneys a.k.a. turrets. These are structures cicadas build out of the soil, positioned above the hole where they will emerge.

Chimney

Holes

Look for holes in the diameter of an adult’s finger near the root system of a tree. These are sure signs that cicadas will emerge in the area.

Holes

Cicadas Under Stones & Slates

You might discover some cicada nymphs while turning over stones or when performing landscaping chores.

Cicada tunneling under slate

What do they look like when they emerge:

Here is a great video of Magicicada nymphs once they have emerged from the ground:

This is a recently emerged nymph crawling up a tree. Note that its eyes are red.

Nymph

Once cicadas nymphs have emerged from the ground, they will try to find a tree (or similar vertical surface), and then begin the process of shedding their old nymph skins (ecdysis), expanding their wings, and changing to their adult coloring. Watch this amazing transformation.

Teneral

How to tell the difference between the seven Magicicada species:

Left to right: Magicicada cassini, Magicicada septendecula, Magicicada septendecim:

The first way is based on the Brood. Take a look at the Brood chart above, and see which species appear with the Brood.

There are 3 basic types of Magicicada: “‘Decims”, “‘Cassini” and “‘Deculas”.

“Decims” aka Pharaoh Cicadas

There are three species in this category:

Magicicada septendecim (Linnaeus, 1758). 17-year life cycle. Broods: I-X, XIII, XIV.
Magicicada neotredecim Marshall and Cooley 2000. 13-year life cycle. Broods: XIX, XXIII.
Magicicada tredecim (Walsh and Riley, 1868). 13-year life cycle. Brood: XIX, XXII, XXIII.

Their songs are very similar, however, when M. neotredecim & M. tredecim emerge in the same location, M. neotredecim’s song takes a higher pitch. Sounds like “Pharaoh, Pharaoh!”.

Visual Appearance:

M. septendecim
Male on left; Female on right.

M. neotredecim & M. septendecim have broad orange stripes with more orange than black on their abdomens.

M. tredecim, by comparison, have almost entirely orange abdomens.

eye to wing
M. septendecim cicadas also have an area of orange coloring between the eye and the wing (pronotal extension).

“Cassini” aka Dwarf Cicadas

There are two species in this category:

Magicicada cassini (Fisher, 1851). 17-year life cycle. Broods: I-V, VIII-X, XIII, XIV.
Magicicada tredecassini Alexander and Moore, 1962. 13-year life cycle. Broods: XIX, XXII, XXII.

Their songs are essentially identical:

M. cassini Call and Court:

Note how it makes a quick burst of sound, followed by some rapid clicks.

Visual Appearance:

Female on left; Male on right.
M. tredecassin & M. cassini cicadas have black abdomens with virtually no orange at all. Orange stripes are possible in the mid-west (important to note for Brood IV).

“Decula”

There are two species in this category:

Magicicada septendecula Alexander and Moore, 1962. 17-year life cycle. Broods: I-VI, VIII-X, XIII, XIV.
Magicicada tredecula Alexander and Moore, 1962. 13-year life cycle. Broods: XIX, XXII, XXIII.

Their songs are essentially identical:

M. tredecula Call:

Note the “tick, tick, tick” rhythm of the call.

Visual Appearance:

Female on left; Male on right.
M. septendecula & M. tredecula have stripes that feature more black than orange. Otherwise, they’re very similar to M. cassini.

How to figure out if they’re coming to your town?

Verify that they’re coming to your state. Check the Magicicada Brood Chart on this page.
Check Cicada Brood Maps linked from this page to see if they’re coming to your general area.
Check to see if they’re coming to your neighborhood. Good sources include:
1. Ask someone who lived there 17 (or 13) years before.
2. Old timers (hint: old timers usually call them locusts).
3. Check your local Library for old newspaper articles.
4. Check with a local college: contact the entomology, forestry, or agriculture-related departments.
5. Your local national, state, county, and town parks department (parks and rec). Some county parks departments plan events around cicada emergences.
When will they emerge?
1. They will emerge sometime in the Spring, for sure.
2. They typically emerge once the soil 8 inches (20 cm) below the surface gets to 64 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celcius). At that temperature, they will start digging their tunnels to the surface. After a couple of days with above-ground temperatures near the 80’s F, and after a good rain, they will emerge. Read this paper for more info: Thermal Synchronization of Emergence in Periodical “17-year” Cicadas (Homoptera, Cicadidae, Magicicada) by James Edward Heath, American Midland Naturalist, Vol. 80, No. 2. (Oct. 1968), pp. 440-448.
3. Cicadas in sunny areas of your yard will emerge before cicadas in shady areas.
4. Cicadas in the southernmost states will emerge before cicadas in the northern states.
5. You can try the Cicada Emergence Formula as well.
If you don’t want them to damage your young or ornamental trees
1. Spray them off with a garden hose.
2. Foil around the trunk (to keep them from crawling up) (thanks Deborah).
3. Insect barrier tape.
4. Netting wrapped around & over the tree. “Insect barrier netting”. “Fruit tree covers”.
5. Bagpipes (no joke, it worked at my friend’s wedding).
6. Don’t use pesticides – we like all insects (especially pollinating bees).
Are you scared of insects?
- Unlike some other insects & arthropods. cicadas are not poisonous or venomous.
- Try a hat, an umbrella, a bee-keeper outfit, a suit of armor…
They’re coming, and they’re going to ruin my wedding!
- Try our Cicada Wedding Planner

Questions about the Brood Chart

Question: Why do I have cicadas in my neighborhood, but your chart indicates that I shouldn’t?

Answer: Some possibilities: 1) they are stragglers, periodical cicadas that emerge too soon or late, 2) they are not periodical cicadas but are a different North American species, 3) you live on a continent other than North America, in which case, try one of these pages, or 4) SURPRISE! The U.S. is a big place and some cicada populations have yet to be documented.

Question: Why don’t I have periodical cicadas in my area, but the information on your website indicates that I should?

Answer: Two possibilities: 1) they went extinct or otherwise died off in your area, or 2) they aren’t everywhere in a state – normally there are large gaps in their range.

Question: What are stragglers?

Answer: Stragglers can emerge 1 or 4 years early or 1 or 4 years late. Don’t be surprised if you see some periodical cicadas emerge earlier than planned this year. 17-year brood members are most likely to straggle 4 years early, and 13-year brood members are most likely to straggle 4 years late. Straggler probability chart.

Question: Are there other types of Periodical cicadas?

Answer: There are two known species of periodical cicadas that are not Magicicada . One lives in India and the other in Fiji.

Question: Why are there no Brood XI, XII, XV, or XVI?

Answer: Perhaps you’ve noticed there are no Broods XI (11), XII (12), XV (15), XVI (16), XVII (17), XVIII (18), XX (20), XXI (21), XXIV (24), etc. Don’t worry about that. They never existed or are extinct (XI, XXI).

Example Emergence Timeline

Here’s an Excel version of the chart. Feel free to use it and adjust it to match your experience.

Or watch the video version:

More Magicicada websites:

For much more information about 17-year cicadas visit Cicadas @ UCONN. The maps on this page link to that site.
The Cicada Safari App is available for Android and Apple devices. Use it to see where people are finding cicadas, and to report your sightings.

More Magicicada Information

Tags M. cassini, M. neotredecim, M. septendecim, M. septendecula, M. tredecassini, M. tredecim, M. tredecula

Brood IX Magicicada Periodical

Brood IX (9) will emerge in 2020 in North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia

Post author By Dan
Post date April 18, 2020
134 Comments on Brood IX (9) will emerge in 2020 in North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia

Periodical cicada Brood IX (9) emerged in the spring of 2020 in North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. The last time this brood emerged was in 2003. It will emerge again in 2037.

Researchers need your help! If you see a cicada, please report it using the Cicada Safari App , available for Android and Apple phones.

Brood IX is interesting to researchers because it’s located very close to 5 other broods. In a normal year, researchers would be able to drive the roads of the area and map the location of the brood so we can get data as to where the broods intersect, but because of the current situation in the U.S., most if not all researchers will be able to travel — so we need you to let us know where they’re at. Read more on Cicadas @ UCONN (formerly Magicicada.org).

What, when, where, and why:

What:

Adult, Nymph, Molting Cicada

Cicada insects with a 17-year life cycle.
Some people call them “locusts” but they’re really cicadas.
Which species: All three 17-year species, Magicicada septendecim, Magicicada cassini and Magicicada septendecula. How to tell the difference between the species.
NOT the green ones that arrive annually.

When: Typically beginning in mid-May and ending in late June. These cicadas will begin to emerge approximately when the soil 8" beneath the ground reaches 64 degrees Fahrenheit (Heath, 1968). 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:

Virginia municipalities: Blacksburg, Bland, Callands, Christiansburg, Covington, Dry Pond, Ferrum, Martinsville, Roanoke, Salem, Vinton, and more.
Virginia counties: Allegheny, Bland, Franklin, Henry, Montgomery, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Roanoke.
North Carolina municipalities: Chestnut Hill, Ennice, Francisco, Hays, Kernersville, McGrady, Millers Creek, Mt Airy, North Wilkesboro, Purlear, Thurmond, Westfield, and more.
North Carolina counties: Ashe, Alleghany, Forsyth, Stokes, Surry, Wilkes.
West Virginia municipalities: Camp Creek, Elmhurst, Hinton, Jumping Branch, Spanishburg, and more.
West Virginia counties: Fayette, Greenbrier, Mercer, Monroe, Pocahontas, Summers.

A quick tip using data from the Cicada Safari app team:

Cicadas in the north-west areas are Brood IX (red). Cicadas south & east of that area (purple) are Brood XIX emerging early.

Maps, Apps, and Tips:

Cicadas @ UCONN has the most up to date maps.
The Cicada Safari App is available for Android and Apple devices. Use it to see where people are finding cicadas, and to report your own sightings.
City data comes from May 2003 reports and June 2003 reports.
Not sure? Ask someone in your community who lived there 17 years ago.

Why: Why do they stay underground for 17-years? The prevailing research suggests they’ve evolved a long, 17-year lifecycle to avoid predators that can 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.

The larger dots are valid. Tiny dots, no. See a modern map, or the Live Map from the Cicada Safari app.
Marlatt 1907 09 Brood IX

Brood XIII Magicicada Periodical

Brood XIII (13) cicadas have emerged in 2024 in Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan

Post author By Dan
Post date April 18, 2020
34 Comments on Brood XIII (13) cicadas have emerged in 2024 in Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan

Periodical cicada Brood XIII (13) emerged in the spring of 2024 in Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan (in one or two places). Brood XIII: rotten, but not forgotten. See you in 2041 (Yikes). Relive the memories: Gene Kritsky released a new book. See what people found iNaturalist: Flagging (Brown Leaves), Brood XIII, Massospora, and Blue and White eyes. Buy a shirt. Yes, Brood XIX also emerged in 2024, they did not overlap, but came close in the Springfield, Illinois area.

BROOD XIII HAS ARRIVED

What, when, where, and why:

What:

Millions of these:
Adult, Nymph, Molting Cicada

Cicada insects with a 17-year life cycle.
Some people call them “locusts” but they are cicadas.
Which species: All three 17-year species, Magicicada septendecim, Magicicada cassini, and Magicicada septendecula. How to tell the difference between the species.
NOT the green cicadas that arrive annually.
The last time Brood XIII emerged was in 2007.

Videos from 2009:

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:

Check out the iNaturalist live map.

Illinois places: Belvidere, Brookfield, Channahon, Chicago, Des Plaines River Trail, Downers Grove, Egermann Woods County Forest Preserve, Elmhurst, Flossmoor, Geneva, Glen Ellyn, Highland Park, Hinsdale, Homewood, La Grange, Lagrange Woods, Lake Forest, Lansing, Lincolnshire, Lisle, Lombard, MacArthur Woods Forest Preserve, Marseilles, McHenry, McKinley Woods, Morton Arboretum, Naperville, Northbrook, Ogden, Ottawa, Palos Heights, River Forest, River Grove, Romeoville, Ryerson Woods, Schiller Park, Thornton, Vernon Hills, Villa Park, Weaton, Western Springs, Westmont, Wonder Lake, and more.
Illinois counties: Bureau, Carroll, Cass, Cook, DuPage, Fulton, Grundy, Henderson, Henry, Jo Daviess, Kankakee, Lake, LaSalle, Livingston, Logan, Marshall, Mason, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Peoria, Putnam, Sangamon, Stark, Tazewell, Whiteside, Will, Winnebago, Woodford.
Iowa places: Atalissa, Solon, and more.
Iowa counties: Benton, Black Hawk, Bremer, Cedar, Dubuque, Henry, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn, Louisa, Muscatine, Scott, Tama.
Wisconsin locations: Aurora University, Big Foot Beach State Park, Lake Geneva, Moraine Nature Preserve, and more.
Wisconsin counties: Crawford, Grant, Green. Rock, Walworth.
Indiana locations: Crown Point, Portage, Purdue-North Central, Valparaiso, and more.
Indiana counties: LaPorte, Porter, Lake.
Michigan: According to Cicadas @ UCONN (formerly Magicicada.org), Magicicada have been found along the border of Michigan and Indiana.
Michigan places: Niles!

More Location Tips:

Cicadas @ UCONN has the most up-to-date maps
Not sure? Ask someone in your community who lived there 17 years ago.
A Tale of Two Broods: The 2024 Emergence of Periodical Cicada Broods XIII and XIX book by Dr. Gene Kritsky.
The Cicada Safari app for iOS and Android to find and report cicadas.

Local Events

Lake County Forest Preserve in Illinois: 1) A cicada exhibit opening at the Dunn Museum in Libertyville, IL on April 27th. 2) Cicadas of Lake County on 5/2. 3) Celebrating Cicadas on 5/16. 4) On Sunday, June 9th, they plan to hold CicadaFest at Ryerson Woods. Insects, and of course, cicadas will be featured.

Why: Why do they stay underground for 17 years? The prevailing research suggests they have evolved a long 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: