The offspring of 13 and 17-year cicadas emerging from the underground this spring will appear together for the first time in 221 years. It seems that a unique event in their life cycle will occur this 2024; Illinois will be at the center of it all, thanks to the cicadas.
Periodical cicadas, residing in the USA, spend over 99% of their lives underground, only surfacing once every 13 or 17 years to mate, lay eggs, and die within a month. The larvae hatch and immediately burrow underground to start the next multi-year waiting cycle.
Cicadas: The Significant 2024 Event
As reported by ScienceAlert, scientists predict that between May and June, two cicada broods will emerge simultaneously, marking a rare occurrence not expected to happen again until 2245, given the double emergence of offspring. Thus, the insects following a 13-year cycle will appear in states such as Tennessee, Georgia, Texas, and Alabama. Simultaneously, those on a 17-year cycle, residing in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana, will begin to emerge in these states.
While there are up to 3,000 different species of cicadas worldwide, periodical cicadas are exclusive to the United States. Although these insects pose no danger to humans, during mating season, they produce a very loud noise of up to 90 decibels, which can be quite annoying. Additionally, within a few weeks, millions of cicadas will shed their exoskeletons, leaving behind shells that can cover trees and the ground.
This phenomenon owes its origin to the extreme sensitivity of periodical cicadas to climate. It’s not until the soil reaches a temperature of around 17-18°C that they emerge to shed their exoskeletons and transform from nymphs into adult winged cicadas, typically occurring from late April onwards.
Despite the Invasion, Cicadas Are Important for Nature
Periodical cicadas are insects whose nature fascinates scientists and biologists, especially due to their reciprocal and vital relationship with the Earth. When preparing to surface, they construct tunnels that act as natural soil aeration; their oviposition leads to tree pruning, which in the following season yields more fruits and flowers; and finally, when they die, their decomposition contributes significant nutrients to the soil.
Although you should have some considerations, while cicadas are harmless as they pose no risk to garden plants, if you have young trees, cicadas could damage them when the insects cut branches to lay their eggs. You can mitigate this damage by covering the trees with cicada nets.
Cicadas won’t bite or sting you or your pets. If your dog eats one or two, it won’t harm them. Dogs aren’t the only ones tempted to eat them; people have been eating them for thousands of years. “They have a sweet, nutty flavor,” said Larson. (However, if you’re allergic to shellfish, you should avoid eating them: a shellfish-related protein causing allergies is also present in many insects).
If you live in an area where they will emerge this spring, you can download community scientific apps to assist researchers in studying these insects.
This story was written in Spanish by Perla Vallejo in Ecoosfera.
