Like clockwork, Gene is back with another book about one of the major periodical cicada broods found in the U.S.A. This time it is for Brood XIV (14). Gene’s books are the “only game in town” so to speak, when it comes to periodical cicadas. They detail the facts about the insects, tell you where you can find them, and include folklore and legends about the insects.
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. The emergence has begun in states highlighted in green. Special note: removing Maryland from the list at the request of the State Entomologist of Maryland. There might be some Brood Xstragglers in Maryland.
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.
Georgia’s populations are difficult to access. I have heard that Magicicada septendecula dominate. Update: just nymphs reported so far, but I bet adults have emerged.
Indiana:iNaturalist Live Map. We’re talking the southern part of Indiana, by the Ohio River. Counties: Crawford, Harrison, Perry. Update: just nymphs so far.
Kentucky:iNaturalist Live Map. We’re talking most of Kentucky east of U.S. Route 41, with major hot-spots along the Ohio river. 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. Cities: Adairville, Bowling Green, Corbin, Flemingsburg, Frankfort, Greensburg, Hazard, Jeffersontown (J-Town), Louisville, Radcliff, Richmond, Valley Station. The first reported adult cicada was found in Whitley City, KY on 5/2. Update: the emergence is underway.
Massachusetts:iNaturalist Live Map. Counties: Barnstable, Plymouth. Locations: (western half of) Cape Cod. Update: just nymphs so far.
New Jersey:iNaturalist Live Map. We’re talking southern New Jersey, where the Jersey Devil lives (he might have ate them all up). Counties: Atlantic, Camden, Ocean. Cities: Linwood, Manchester Township, Winslow Township. Update: nothing yet, just a Brood X straggler in Princeton.
New Jersey’s population may have gone extinct, but we’ll look for it this year to make sure.
New York:iNaturalist Live Map. We’re talking Long Island. Counties: Nassau, Suffolk. New York cities: East Setauket and Dix Hills (thanks Elias Bonaros).Update: nothing yet.
New York’s cicada population is on the decline.
North Carolina:iNaturalist Live Map. 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.Counties: Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Henderson, McDowell, Mitchell, Wilkes. North Carolina cities: Asheville, Haw Creek, East Asheville, Moravian Falls, north-west of Nashville, Wilkesboro. The first reported adult cicada was found in Leicester, NC on 4/22. Update: the emergence is underway.
Ohio:iNaturalist Live Map. 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. Counties: Adams, Brown, Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Gallia, Hamilton, Highland, Ross, Warren. Cities: Batavia, Blue Ash, Cincinnati area, Indian Hill, Loveland, Maderia, Mariemont, Milford, Miami Twp. The first reported adult cicadas were found in Rio Grande and Bainbridge on 5/8. Update: the emergence is underway.
Pennsylvania:iNaturalist Live Map. We’re talking central Pennsylvania, and random locations toward the east.Adams, Berks, Blair, Cambria, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Cumberland, Huntingdon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, Union. Pennsylvania cities: Bear Gap, Elverson. The first reported adult cicada was found in Morgantown on 5/8.
Tennessee:iNaturalist Live Map. We’re talking north of Nashville, north-west of Chattanooga and in random places in the eastern half of the state. 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. Cities: Cades Cove, Goodlettsville, Hampton, Muddy Pond. The first reported adult cicada was found in Nashville on 4/25. Update: the emergence is underway.
Virginia:iNaturalist Live Map. We’re talking western Virginia, and mostly the part tucked under Kentucky. Counties: Botetourt, Lee, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Wise. The first reported adult cicada was found in near Campbell on 4/25. Update: the emergence is underway. Brood X stragglers are emerging near D.C.
West Virginia:iNaturalist Live Map. We’re talking the area west of Interstate 77 (I-77), bordered by Kentucky and Ohio. Counties: Cabell, Kanawha, Mason, Mingo, Putnam, Wyoming. West Virginia cities: Huntington. The first reported adult cicada was found in in Panther State Forest on 5/4. Update: the emergence is underway.
*City data comes from May 2008 and June 2008 blog comments. County locations are historical and may no-longer be accurate.
Experts (Gaye Williams, State Entomologist of Maryland, John Cooley of UCONN) have confirmed that there will be no Brood XIV cicadas for Maryland. That said, there will be some stragglers from Brood X. You can look for reports of stragglers using this iNaturalist map.
More Maps and Location Tips!
Cicadas @ UCONN has the most up to date maps. Zoom in and look for the images of cicadas.
* 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).
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One phenomenal behavior of Magicicada periodical cicadas is they “straggle”, meaning they emerge earlier or later than the year they are expected. Typically they emerge 1 or 4 years before they’re supposed to emerge.
Brood XXIII is expected to emerge in four years in 2028, but enough are emerging in 2024 for cicada researchers like Chris Simon to take notice! She let us know about the stragglers on May 8th.
Brood XXIII is found in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. This is not a perfect map (it overlaps with Brood XIX), but XXIII cicadas will show up in that area.
Arkansas: Bayou Deview Wildlife Management Area, Poinsett County, Devalls Bluff, Harrisburg, Holland Bottoms, Jacksonville, Jonesboro, Knox Co., Lake Hogue, Lake Poinsett State Park, Little Rock, and Wynne.
Illinois: Anna, Carbondale, Carterville, Chester, Clinton Lake, Marissa and Robinson.
Indiana: Harmonie State Park, Hymera, Leanne, Richland, Sullivan And Posey Counties.
Kentucky: Benton, Calvert City, Gilbertsville, Henry County, Murray, and Paducah.
Louisiana: Bastrop, Choudrant, Grayson and West Monroe.
Mississippi: Alva, Arlington, Booneville, Brandon, Clinton, Corinth, Desoto County, Florence, French Camp, Hernando, Holcomb, Houlka, Jackson, New Albany, Oxford, Potts Camp, Silver Creek, Tishomingo, and Water Valley.
Tennessee: Atoka, Benton, Cordova, Henry County, Huntingdon, Jackson, Lavinia, Leach, Lexington, McNeary County, Memphis, Paris, Savannah, and Speedwell.
Here’s a blue overlay of there Brood XXIII emerges from the UCONN map on the iNaturalist data (as of May 5th):
Surrounding the blue area on the west and east is Brood XIX and north will be Brood XIII.
Jim Thorpe Pennsylvania Magicicada Emergence Gallery #2.
These images are from 2016, Brood V.
Click/tap the image for a larger version.
Visit Gallery #1 as well.
When Roy Troutman visited New Jersey and New York in 2013 for Brood II he took a lot of great cicada photos.
Here is a sample of the best.
Click the images for a larger version.
Visit Gallery #1 and Gallery #3 as well.
John Cooley and Ed Johnson speaking at the Staten Island Museum Six Legged Sex event by Roy Troutman
Light Up Cicada Sculpture at the Staten Island Museum by Roy Troutman
Magicicada septendecim by Roy Troutman
Magicicada cassini flying inbetween calling in Colonia NJ by Roy Troutman
Magicicada cassini in flight in Colonia NJ by Roy Troutman
