Dedicated to cicadas, the most amazing insects in the world.
Looking at the latest map from Cicada Safari app data, it appears that cicadas from Brood V are emerging 4 years late. 4 year Stragglers! 21-year-old cicadas! Look around Akron, Ohio, eastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia.
Here’s a link to the Brood V map on Magicicada.org.
Marlatt, C.L.. 1914. The periodical cicada in 1914. United States. Bureau of Entomology
Magicicada septendecim cicada from Brood IX in Greenbrier County, WV. Photo by Tony Maro. Thanks Tony!
Skip to a section: Broods | Your Town | Pre Emergence Signs | Magicicada Species.
🛑 This page is strictly for Magicicada periodical cicadas, aka 17 & 13-year cicadas, aka "locusts" (read why they’re called locusts).
This does not cover annual cicada species in North America and other parts of the world.
📅 Brood IX (Nine) emerged in 2020 in North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. “Stragglers” from other broods also emerged in limited numbers: Brood X (1 year early), Brood XIX (4 years early) and Brood XIII (4 years early). Here’s a map where they emerged:
Researchers need your help! If you see a cicada, please report it using the Cicada Safari App 📱, available for Android and Apple phones. See a Live Map of sightings.
The Brood Chart features the names of the broods (Roman numerals), their life cycle length, when they will emerge next, which states they’ll emerge in, links to Maps, the species that will emerge, and other information. Click the maps for larger, detailed maps.
| Brood | 17 or 13 | Year | Stragglers Probable | States & Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I (1) | 17 | 1961, 1978, 1995, 2012, 2029 | 2025 (-4), 2028 (-1) |
Species: M. septendecim, M. cassini, M. septendecula. States: TN, VA, WV 
|
| II (2) | 17 | 1962, 1979, 1996, 2013, 2030 | 2026 (-4), 2029 (-1) |
Species: M. septendecim, M. cassini, M. septendecula. States: CT, GA, MD, NC, NJ, NY, OK, PA, VA 
|
| III (3) | 17 | 1963, 1980, 1997, 2014, 2031 | 2027 (-4), 2030 (-1) |
Species: M. septendecim, M. cassini, M. septendecula. States: IA, IL, MO 
|
| IV (4) | 17 | 1964, 1981, 1998, 2015, 2032 | 2028 (-4), 2031 (-1) |
Species: M. septendecim, M. cassini, M. septendecula. States: IA, KS, MO, NE, OK, TX 
|
| V (5) | 17 | 1965, 1982, 1999, 2016, 2033 | 2029 (-4), 2032 (-1) |
Species: M. septendecim, M. cassini, M. septendecula. States: LI NY, MD, OH, PA, VA, WV 
|
| VI (6) | 17 | 1966, 1983, 2000, 2017, 2034 | 2030 (-4), 2933 (-1) |
Species: M. septendecim, M. septendecula. States: GA, NC, SC, WI, OH 
|
| VII (7) | 17 | 1967, 1984, 2001, 2018, 2035 | 2031 (-4), 2034 (-1) |
Species: M. septendecim. States: NY 
|
| VIII (8) | 17 | 1968, 1985, 2002, 2019, 2036 | 2032 (-4), 2035 (-1) |
Species: M. septendecim, M. cassini, M. septendecula. States: OH, PA, WV and OK 
|
| IX (9) | 17 | 1952, 1969, 1986, 2003, 2020 | 2033 (-4), 2036 (-1) |
Species: M. septendecim, M. cassini, M. septendecula. States: NC, VA, WV 
|
| X (10) | 17 | 1953, 1970, 1987, 2004, 2021 | 2020 (-1), 2034 (-4), 2037 (-1) |
Species: M. septendecim, M. cassini, M. septendecula. States: DE, GA, IL, IN, KY, MD, MI, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, Washington 
|
| XIII (13) | 17 | 1956, 1973, 1990, 2007, 2024 | 2020 (-4), 2023 (-1) |
Species: M. septendecim, M. cassini. States: IA, IL, IN, MI, WI 
|
| XIV (14) | 17 | 1957, 1974, 1991, 2008, 2025 | 2021 (-4), 2024 (-1) |
Species: M. septendecim, M. cassini, M. septendecula. States: GA, IN, KY, MA, MD, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV 
|
| XIX (19) | 13 | 1972, 1985, 1998, 2011, 2024 | 2020 (-4), 2023 (-1) |
Species: M. tredecim, M. neotredecim, M. tredecassini, M. tredecula. States: AL, AR, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, VA 
|
| XXII (22) | 13 | 1975, 1988, 2001, 2014, 2027 | 2023 (-4), 2026 (-1) |
Species: M. tredecim, M. tredecassini, M. tredecula. States: KY, LA, MS, OH 
|
| XXIII (23) | 13 | 1976, 1989, 2002, 2015, 2028 | 2024 (-4), 2027 (-1) |
Species: M. tredecim, M. neotredecim, M. tredecassini, M. tredecula. States: AR, IL, IN, KY, LA, MO, MS, TN 
|
📅 🌡️ Generally speaking, these cicadas will begin to emerge when the soil 8″ beneath the ground reaches 64 degrees Fahrenheit (Heath, 1968). A nice, warm rain will often trigger an emergence. They typically emerge in May but have been known to emerge in late April or early June. It all depends on the weather.
Look for cicada chimneys a.k.a. turrets. These are structures cicadas build out of the soil, positioned above the hole where they will emerge.
Look for holes the diameter of an adult’s finger near the root system of a tree. These are sure signs that cicadas will emerge in the area.
You might discover some cicada nymphs while turning over stones or when performing landscaping chores.
Here is a great video of Magicicada nymphs once they have emerged from the ground:
This is a recently emerged nymph crawling up a tree. Note that its eyes are red.
Once cicadas nymphs have emerged from the ground, they will try to find a tree (or similar vertical surface), and then begin the process of shedding their old nymph skins (ecdysis), expanding their wings, and changing to their adult coloring. Watch this amazing transformation.
The first way is based on the Brood. Take a look at the Brood chart above, and see which species appear with the Brood.
There are 3 basic types of Magicicada: “‘Decims”, “‘Cassini” and “‘Deculas”.
There are three species in this category:
Their songs are very similar, however, when M. neotredecim & M. tredecim emerge in the same location, M. neotredecim’s song takes a higher pitch. Sounds like “Pharaoh, Pharaoh!”.
Male on left; Female on right.
M. neotredecim & M. septendecim have broad orange stripes with more orange than black on their abdomens.
M. tredecim, by comparison, have almost entirely orange abdomens.
M. septendecim also have an area of orange coloring between the eye and the wing (pronotal extension).
There are two species in this category:
Their songs are essentially identical:
Note how it makes a quick burst of sound, followed by some rapid clicks.
Female on left; Male on right.
M. tredecassin & M. cassini have black abdomens with virtually no orange at all. Orange stripes are possible in the mid-west (important to note for Brood IV).
There are two species in this category:
Their songs are essentially identical:
Note the “tick, tick, tick” rhythm of the call.
Female on left; Male on right.
M. septendecula & M. tredecula have stripes that feature more black than orange. Otherwise, they’re very similar to M. cassini.
Question: Why do I have cicadas in my neighborhood, but your chart indicates that I shouldn’t?
Answer: Some possibilities: 1) they are stragglers, periodical cicadas that emerge too soon or late, 2) they are not periodical cicadas, but are a different North American species, 3) you live on a continent other than North America, in which case, try one of these pages, or 4) SURPRISE! The U.S. is a big place and some cicada populations have yet to be documented.
Question: Why don’t I have periodical cicadas in my area, but the information on your website indicates that I should?
Answer: Two possibilities: 1) they went extinct or otherwise died off in your area, or 2) they aren’t everywhere in a state – normally there are large gaps in their range.
Question: What are stragglers?
Answer: Stragglers can emerge 1 or 4 years early or 1 or 4 years late. Don’t be surprised if you see some periodical cicadas emerge earlier than planned this year. 17-year brood members are most likely to straggle 4 years early, and 13-year brood members are most likely to straggle 4 years late. Straggler probability chart.
Question: Why are there no Brood XI, XII, XV, XVI… ?
Answer: Perhaps you’ve noticed there are no Broods XI (11), XII (12), XV (15), XVI (16), XVII (17), XVIII (18), XX (20), XXI (21), XXIV (24), etc. Don’t worry about that. They never existed or are extinct (XI, XXI).
In 2020, the main periodical cicada brood expected to emerge in the U.S. is Brood IX (9). Brood IX will emerge in southern West Virginia, western Virginia, and a small portion of north-western North Carolina. This we know for sure.
If you want to see where cicadas are being reported, try the Cicada Safari App is available for Android and Apple devices 📱.
OK, here’s the point of this article:
Cicadas from other broods will also emerge this year in small numbers. When cicadas emerge early or late, they’re called stragglers. Don’t get hung up on the meaning of the word. If it makes you happy, call the ones that emerge early “precursors”, “pioneers”, or “heralds”.
Members of Brood XIX (19) are emerging in parts of North Carolina and Georgia, where Brood XIX is know to exist. There’s some discussion of this over on the Cicada Discussion, Science and Study Group on Facebook. You might see them in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Lousiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
The rest of Brood XIX will emerge in 2024. Here’s a map.
Here’s a paper that discusses 13-year Magicicada emerging 4 years early: David C. Marshall, Kathy B. R. Hill, and John R. Cooley “Multimodal Life-Cycle Variation in 13- and 17-Year Periodical Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Magicicada),” Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 90(3), 211-226, (1 July 2017). https://doi.org/10.2317/0022-8567-90.3.211
Members of Brood XIII (13) are likely to emerge 4 years early in Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and possibly Michigan.
The rest of Brood XIII emerge in 2024 (a big year for periodical cicadas). Here’s a map.
Some members of Brood X (10) should emerge 1 year early in Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington D.C.
The rest of Brood X will emerge next year in 2021. Here’s a map.
Here’s a screen shot from the Cicada Safari app:
Within the app, you can zoom in to see where the cicadas are appearing. Here’s a “Live Map” of the sightings from the app.Pinch and zoom to get details.
Periodical cicada Brood IX (9) emerged in the spring of 2020 in North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. The last time this brood emerged was in 2003. It will emerge again in 2037.
Researchers need your help! If you see a cicada, please report it using the Cicada Safari App 📱, available for Android and Apple phones.
Brood IX is interesting to researchers because it’s located very close to 5 other broods. In a normal year, researchers would be able to drive the roads of the area and map the location of the brood so we can get data as to where the broods intersect, but because of the current situation in the U.S., most if not all researchers will be able to travel — so we need you to let us know where they’re at. Read more on Magicicada.org.
What, when, where, and why:
What:
📅🌡️ When: Typically beginning in mid-May and ending in late June. These cicadas will begin to emerge approximately when the soil 8″ beneath the ground reaches 64 degrees Fahrenheit (Heath, 1968). A nice, warm rain will often trigger an emergence.
Other tips: these cicadas will emerge after the trees have grown leaves, and, by my own observation, around the same time Iris flowers bloom.
🗺️ 🇺🇸 Where:
A quick tip using data from the Cicada Safari app team:
Cicadas in the north-west areas are Brood IX (red). Cicadas south & east of that area (purple) are Brood XIX emerging early.
Maps, Apps, and Tips:
Why: Why do they stay underground for 17-years? The prevailing research suggests they’ve evolved a long, 17-year lifecycle to avoid predators that can sync up with their lifecycle & emergence. Why are there so many?! Research suggests that their huge numbers allow them to overwhelm predators, so enough of them will live on to breed and perpetuate the brood.
More facts and fun:
The larger dots are valid. Tiny dots, no. See a modern map, or the Live Map from the Cicada Safari app.
