Category: Genera

Periodical cicada Brood XIV (14) will emerge in the spring of 2025 in Georgia, Kentucky, Indiana, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia. The last time this brood emerged was in 2008. Special note: removing Maryland from the list at the request of the State Entomologist of Maryland.

What:

Millions of these Magicicada cicada insects:

• Cicadas 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 (Neotibicen) that arrive annually.

When:

Usually beginning in May and ending in late June. These cicadas emerge approximately when the soil 8″ beneath the ground reaches approximately 64 degrees Fahrenheit. Above ground temperatures in the 70’s-80’s help warm the soil to that point. A warm rain will often trigger an emergence.

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

Where:

City data comes from May 2008 and June 2008 blog comments. County locations are historical and may no-longer be accurate*.

• Georgia counties: Fannin, Lumpkin, Rabun, Union. We’re talking the northeastern part of Georgia, within the Blue Ridge Mountains region.
• Indiana counties: Crawford, Harrison, Perry. We’re talking the southern part of Indiana, by the Ohio River.
• Kentucky counties: Anderson, Barren, Bath, Bell, Bourbon, Boyd, Bracken, Campbell, Carter, Clinton, Edmonson, Fayette, Franklin, Floyd, Gallatin, Grant, Hardin, Harrison, Henderson, LaRue, Laurel, Leslie, Logan, Madison, McCreary, Montgomery, Nelson, Nicholas, Pendleton, Pike, Pulaski, Rowan, Scott, Shelby, Whitley. We’re talking most of Kentucky east of U.S. Route 41, with major hot-spots along the Ohio river.
• Kentucky cities: Adairville, Bowling Green, Corbin, Flemingsburg, Frankfort, Greensburg, Hazard, Jeffersontown (J-Town), Louisville, Radcliff, Richmond, Valley Station
• Massachusetts counties: Barnstable, Plymouth. We’re talking Cape Cod.
• Massachusetts places: (western half of) Cape Cod
• New Jersey counties: Atlantic, Camden, Ocean. We’re talking southern New Jersey, where the Jersey Devil lives (he might have ate them all up).
• New Jersey cities: Linwood, Manchester Township, Winslow Township
• New York counties: Nassau, Suffolk. We’re talking Long Island.
• New York cities: East Setauket and Dix Hills (thanks Elias Bonaros).
• North Carolina counties: Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Henderson, McDowell, Mitchell, Wilkes. We’re talking western North Carolina, particularly areas heavily impacted by Hurricane Helene. It will be interesting to see if the cicadas were impacted as well, as flooding may have washed away their underground tunnels and habitat.
• North Carolina cities: Asheville, Moravian Falls, north-west of Nashville, Wilkesboro
• Ohio counties: Adams, Brown, Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Gallia, Hamilton, Highland, Ross, Warren. We’re talking south-western Ohio, with the hottest spots just east of Cincinnati. This is the homeland of cicada-experts Gene Kritsky and Roy Troutman, and world-famous botanist Matt Berger.
• Ohio cities: Batavia, Blue Ash, Cincinnati area, Indian Hill, Loveland, Maderia, Mariemont, Milford, Miami Twp.
• Pennsylvania counties: Adams, Berks, Blair, Cambria, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Cumberland, Huntingdon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, Union. We’re talking central Pe,nnsylvania, and random locations toward the east.
• Pennsylvania cities: Bear Gap, Elverson
• Tennessee counties: Bledsoe, Blount, Campbell, Carter, Cheatham, Claiborne, Cocke, Coffee, Cumberland, Davidson, Grainger, Grundy, Hancock, Hawkins, Jefferson, Marion, Putnam, Roane, Robertson, Rutherford, Sevier, Sumner, Unicoi, Williamson. We’re talking north of Nashville, north-west of Chattanooga and in random places in the eastern half of the state.
• Tennessee cities: Cades Cove, Goodlettsville, Hampton, Muddy Pond
• Virginia counties: Botetourt, Lee, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Wise. We’re talking western Virginia, and mostly the part tucked under Kentucky.
• West Virginia counties: Cabell, Kanawha, Mason, Mingo, Putnam, Wyoming. We’re talking the area west of Interstate 77 (I-77), bordered by Kentucky and Ohio.
• West Virginia cities: Huntington

More Location Tips:

• Cicadas @ UCONN has the most up to date maps. Zoom in and look for the images of cicadas.
• Not sure about your town? Ask someone in your community who lived there 17 years ago.
• Try Dr. Gene Kritsky’s new book The Pilgrims’ Promise: The 2025 Emergence of the Periodical Cicada Brood XIV
• At the time of the emergence, use the Cicada Safari app or iNaturalist to see where they are emerging.

* Although county locations may no longer be accurate, I like to keep them on the page in case someone discovers a small, secret or unknown population of these cicadas. People might be disappointed, but we want to know for sure that the cicadas are (or are not) thriving in historical locations. This is the cicada researcher’s dilemma: either focus on the guaranteed/sure shot locations for the general public to enjoy, or include the obscure, relic locations so we do not miss out on rare cicada sightings. Cicadas @ UCONN talks about the relationship between the different broods — Brood XIV and Brood X are closely related geographically and genetically. You might find a Brood X straggler emerging 4 years late, and mistake it for Brood XIV. If a large number (large enough to sustain future emergences) of Brood X makes the 4-year “JUMP” to be in synch with Brood XIV, they technically become Brood XIV (and the reverse is true).

1907 Map

This map comes from the 1907 publication Marlatt, C.L. 1907. The periodical cicada. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Bureau of Entomology.

A more modern map made by Roy Troutman

More facts and fun:

• 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.
• The 17 Most Interesting Periodical cicada facts.
• Cicada Mania Crossword Puzzle. It isn’t easy.

YouTube Playlist of Brood XIV Cicadas from 2008