Cicada-geddon
April 30, 2024 · Uncategorized
The Cicada-geddon is Coming!
They’re alive! Millions of cicadas will emerge from the ground in the midwestern and southeastern US from late April to early June. These cicadas are members of Brood XIX (13 year periodical cicadas) and Brood XIII (17 year periodical cicadas). Brood XIX includes four species of cicadas: Magicicada neotredecim, Magicicada tredicim, Magicicada tredecassini, and Magicicada tredecula. Isn’t that magical! This cicada-geddon, coined by John Cooley, only happens every 221 years. The last time these two broods emerged together was when Thomas Jefferson was president!
Cicadas are true bugs (heteropteran), meaning they have two pairs of wings and a straw like mouthpart for sipping fluids from plants or animals. They are most known for their large eyes that are set wide apart, transparent wings and the distinctive loud song males make. Periodical cicadas spend most of their lifecycle underground as nymphs and emerge to become adults. Scientists have hypothesized that periodical cicadas spend so much time underground to avoid being eaten. When multiple cicadas emerge simultaneously, it’s hard for predators to get all of them. Survival in numbers!
Once these cicadas emerge, they shed their old exoskeleton, and males begin chorusing to find a mate. They do this by vibrating a noise-producing organ on their abdomen called a tymbal. Many people associate this sound with summer. Once they mate, the female cicada lays her eggs on a tree. After the eggs hatch, the new nymphs travel underground, and the cycle continues!
Emerging cicadas pose no threat to agriculture. They mainly feed on juices and sap from trees; mature, healthy trees are not seriously affected. Cicadas actually provide a huge benefit to the ecosystem. They aerate the soil while underground, enrich it when they die, and are a food source for birds and other larger animals.
While we won’t see any Brood XIX or Brood XIII members in Colorado, we can still appreciate this once-in-a-lifetime natural event!
Written by Celena Romero
