If you’ve ventured outside recently in the four-state area, then you’ve probably been greeted by the loud and rhythmic buzzing of cicadas.  It’s the return of “Brood X” – the largest group of cicadas that make an appearance every seventeen years in the Central-Atlantic states along the Eastern seaboard.  For the next few weeks, millions of these insects will emerge after their long slumber – and for a month or so they will molt, eat, mate, and then drop dead, ending their life cycle[1].

So why so many at one time?  Well, believe it or not, it’s a survival strategy.  By all coming out of hibernation at relatively the same time, there are millions of insects covering the trees, fences, lawns, and other surfaces.  Since many predators love to eat cicadas, there are literally too many to address, allowing a sizeable portion of the emerging brood to mate and reproduce, ensuring the continuation of the species.

The noises one hears are thousands upon thousands of males calling out for a partner – and I do mean loud.  Their mating call is one of the loudest in the insect world, and they can easily be heard through closed windows or from within a passing car.  One individual is loud on its own – multiply that by around 10,000?  Well, you get the idea.  It’s kind of like being in the 5^th row of an AC/DC concert, and Angus Young is just shredding a guitar solo on a maxed out amp that’s six feet tall.  I’m not kidding – one has to shout to be heard over top of the background noise.

Following all of these mating rituals, the female will lay about 500 eggs (which are attached to the trees they gather in).  Once these eggs hatch, the tiny offspring will drop to the ground, burrow underneath the surface, and won’t be seen again until the year 2038.

The big question is – do they hurt anything?  The simple answer is “no”.  They can harm young trees (which can be overwhelmed by so many individuals), but larger specimens can take the periodic visit and stress in stride.  Cicadas don’t bite or sting, nor are they poisonous.  If anything, people find them to be a temporary nuisance, as the hard shells left behind from mating will litter the landscape for several weeks (which are a great addition to any compost pile).  Cicadas are also not the most attractive bugs around (with their red eyes and large size), but their menacing looks are all superficial – they are gentle giants of the insect world.  The chirping of so many horny bachelors can also be unnerving, but other than the occasional run-in with a flying individual traversing from one place to another, they do no environmental harm – and are actually an unexpected banquet for local wildlife.

All in all, they should be here and gone by the end of June, re-establishing the quiet order of things in nature, so have patience insect-a-phobes –  all will be right with the world in a few weeks.

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[1] “Brood X Periodical Cicadas FAQ”, NPS.gov, 5/18/21, accessed 6/8/21, https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/cicadas-brood-x.htm