The Magicicada periodical cicadas belonging to Brood I (one) will emerge in western Virginia and eastern West Virginia in the spring of 2012. Brood I cicadas have a 17-year life cycle. Three species of periodical cicada will emerge: Magicicada cassini, Magicicada septendecim, and Magicicada septendecula.
Brood I is also called the Blue Ridge brood because the emergence occurs in the Blue Ridge Highlands area. Brood I has historically emerged along RT 81 in Virginia, parts of George Washington National Forest, Jefferson National Forest, and around the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area in West Virginia. Visit the Brood I page on Magiciada.org for more information and maps.
Get ready…
15 replies on “Brood I cicadas will emerge in Virginia and West Virginia in 2012”
I found three in my backyard, I live in Henrico, Virginia.
They are huge, 2″ – 3″ long, is this normal?
It is. Probably Tibicen auletes or Tibicen canicularis at this time of the year, not a periodical species of cicada.
I saw my first one 6/15/2012. It was an adult.
I would like to know when the brood 1 appeared in eastern WV and how long will they continue
Looks like they’re appearing in the area of Upper Tract WV https://cicadas.uconn.edu/media/ An emergence typically lasts 4 to 6 weeks.
I live in Glorieta, NM and they have been here for at least 1 1/2 weeks. The trees are loaded with them!
Sandy, I bet you’ve got Cacama valvata cicadas Photos of Cacama valvata cicadas They’re cicadas all right, and there are plenty of them, but they aren’t the 17 year variety.
There are cicadas emerging in full force in Monongalia County, West Virginia.
They’re hatching here in Page County VA in the mountains. At first I thought someone’s house alarm was going off they are so loud and continuous!
I live in Linville, VA (on the outskirts of Harrisonburg) and we noticed their arrival last Friday evening (May 4th). We found hundreds of their exoskeletons over last weekend! Tonight their emergence has been AMAZING! We’ve watched hundreds come out of the ground and make their way to a higher spot!
I can’t wait to go out in the morning and see what’s out there! =)
A quick observation and question… I noticed that the 17 year cicadas seem to make a different noise than the annual cicadas. It’s not as loud and just sounds entirely different. I assume that’s true for different species of cicadas?
Yes, that’s true. Virtually all cicadas make a different sound. There are three different species of 17-year periodical cicadas, and they have unique calls as well ( audio clips here ).
I hear them coming. Every morning when it warms up, the woods to my west start to vibrate. It won’t be long…
Timberville
Hundreds emerging today. All over the fences here in western Bedford county.
They are here by the hundreds. we kept seeing these holes around our barns and could not figure out what was causing them until we started seeing the “shells” of these creatures and now there are litterally close to 100 on our fences and even more adults starting to get on trees and shrubs. they truely are alien looking before that final molt.
They are here