It’s safe to assume that after 2020, we all have pretty high hopes for 2021. And in addition to some developments and cool new businesses that are slated to open, it looks like there’s at least one other thing we can count on here in the 828: cicadas. And these aren’t just any old cicadas, these are Brood X cicadas, who haven’t been seen much since their last mass appearance in 2004.
What are cicadas?
Cicadas are large insects related to aphids and other insects that feed on plants. There are over 3,000 species of cicadas, and they come in two types: annual + periodical. Annual cicadas appear greenish in color, fast moving, and they come out each year from July to September. In contrast, periodical cicadas have red eyes and black bodies, and they only emerge once every 13 to 17 years, from mid-May to June. There are seven species of periodical cicadas, including Brood X, which is one of the largest broods of periodical cicadas in the nation. As for why periodical cicadas only come out once every 13 or 17 years, there’s no consensus among scientists, whose explanations range from forest diversity to targeted glacial cycles.
What is Brood X?
Scientists group cicadas based on the year they emerge from underground, where, rather than hibernating, they live + develop while noshing on sap from tree roots. Brood X, of the genus Magicicada, is the name for the cicadas due in the spring of 2021— just as in 1987, 2004, and again come 2038. There should theoretically be 17 different generations of 17 year cicada, with each one connected to a different emergence year + geographic zone. However, some broods have never been formally observed, suggesting they may have gone extinct.
The brood that emerged last year, Brood IX, was largely confined to the state’s northwestern counties, including Wilkes, Surry + Ashe counties. Similarly, come 2024, the Great Southern Brood of the four species of 13 year cicadas are expected to spring up across much of the NC Piedmont, including parts of Wake, Durham, Orange + Chatham counties.
What about 2021?
Experts predict that come spring, trillions of insects will pop up in 15 states, including Illinois, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee, to set about mating and laying their eggs before dying. Oh, and about that mating? It can get loud, hitting up to 100 decibels that can be heard from up to a mile away.
Not too thrilled to hear we’ll be having a swarm of loud insects emerging in the next few months? The good news is that cicadas are largely harmless. They won’t cause lasting damage to established trees and they even benefit nature by aerating the soil; once dead, their bodies offer growing trees a good source of nitrogen. And if that’s not enough to get you jazzed, some folks even think they make tasty snacks. So if all else fails, maybe 2021 will be the year you find a new favorite insect to nibble on.
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