The largest brood of 17-year cicadas, Brood XIV, is set to emerge across a vast swathe of the United States this May and June. These insects, last seen during the Bush administration, have been patiently waiting underground, counting down the years. Now, they’re back with a singular focus: reproduction.
Brood XIV holds a special significance: it’s considered the original 17-year cicada brood, the ancestor from which all other 17-year broods originated. Prepare for a few weeks of intense natural phenomena as billions of these crunchy insects fill the air with their distinctive mating calls.
This synchronized emergence is a survival strategy. The sheer number of cicadas overwhelms predators like birds, squirrels, and snakes. This abundance creates ripples throughout the food chain, providing a feast for some while impacting others.
Studies have shown that cuckoo, blue jay, and woodpecker populations increase during cicada emergences. However, this abundance can have unintended consequences. As birds focus on cicadas, caterpillar populations may thrive, potentially leading to increased damage to oak trees.
While most of the cicadas will become meals for predators, enough will survive to lay eggs, ensuring the continuation of the brood. After fulfilling their reproductive purpose, the adult cicadas die, leaving their offspring to burrow underground for another 17 years, until their own emergence in 2041.
Brood XIV’s emergence is expected to span a wide area, from Kansas in the west to Wisconsin and Michigan in the north, down to New Orleans and along much of the East Coast, from Georgia and South Carolina up to Connecticut. For a detailed map of cicada broods and their historical emergence patterns, visit the University of Connecticut website (https://cicadas.uconn.edu/broods/).
Climate change may be influencing cicada emergence patterns. Research suggests that rising temperatures could lead to earlier emergences and potentially even shorten their 17-year underground cycle. While these are long-term projections, the immediate arrival of Brood XIV is upon us.
So, if you hear a loud droning sound in the coming weeks and you’re not near a construction site, don’t be alarmed. It’s just billions of cicadas engaging in their once-in-a-generation reproductive frenzy.
