The next major emergences are Brood XIII (17-year) and Brood XIX (13-year) in 2024. The last time these broods co-emerged was 1803.
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April 14, 2020
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I am very excited about this double brood emergence. I am flying down from Vancouver, Canada to experience it. I hope to find a small town where the broods overlap and spend a few days there. Do you have any advice for me as to where I should go?? Thanks and Happy Chorusing.
Fair warning: the broods do not overlap. They do come close in areas like Springfield, Illinois. Conceivably, you could go to a location like Springfield, and then travel ~10mi south to see Brood XIX and ~10mi north to see Brood XIII.
What is the time period from when periodical cicadas emerge and shed, to when they begin to actually chorus? While I’m an entomologist, cicadas are not my specialty,
but they fascinate me. I’m heading on my first search, mostly in an area south of my county of Schuylkill county, PA, where some reports have begun to come in. Our county, historically is primarily Brood II, and I will in the coming weeks be attempting to locate pockets of Brood X here. Most my search will be targeting the southern tier of our county, especially more remote areas.
First, their bodies need to fully sclerotize (harden) which can take 2-3 days. If you see white/gray markings on their mesonotum, that’s an indication that they’re not get fully sclerotized. After a few days, you might hear them try to sing or put out a distress sound when handled, that’s a good sign they’re ready to sing.
Then they need a critical mass of other male cicada to form a chorus. Depending on the species, some prefer to be at a certain height in trees before they’ll chorus. M. cassini prefers to be higher up.
They’ll also need the right weather and light conditions — sunny, not too cool – not too hot. And
For the best cicada experiences, would the Smoky Mountain area near Knoxville and Owensboro, KY be good places in mid-May 2021? I will be making a cross-country trip to see them and wouldn’t want to miss this massive brood. Thank you.
Knoxville itself, but not the mountains.
Will the 17 yr cicadas emerge north of Chicago by the Wisconsin state line. Third Lake Il
I have seen 4 of the red eyed periodical cicadas this week. Moving about and one emerging from its exoskeleton on a crepe myrtle trunk. We are on Arthur Minnis Road in Hillsborough NC and last saw these in full force May of 2011. Are these stragglers of Brood XIX?
Would appreciate any information! Thanks,
Ippy Patterson
@Ippy, that sounds like Brood XIX emerging 4 years early — very unusual for a 13 year brood — but others are reporting this as well! Thanks!
they are all over my yard this week in south Charlotte NC!
Ippy,
I am in Hillsborough too, off of Old NC 86! Very excited for the emergence this year. I think we should be able to hear it, the site lists other towns such as Mebane and Pittsboro so I think we are in the range. I am going to take a trip to Asheville in late May to experience it myself.
Olivia