An exceptional event is about to occur in the eastern United States: for the first time in 221 years, two huge colonies of periodical cicadas will emerge from the ground at the same time. This natural spectacle, scheduled for the end of April 2024, will involve the two largest colonies, Brood XIII and XIX.
These live underground for 17 and 13 years respectively before re-emerging en masse. The insects, known as nymphs in their juvenile stage, spend years feeding on the root sap of trees before emerging to mate in a frenetic, noisy ritual that lasts several weeks.
The event is a rare occasion, the last time it occurred was in 1803, when Thomas Jefferson was president of the United States, and it will not happen again before 2245. While there are over 3,000 species of cicada, only seven are periodic, with life cycles that can span 13 or 17 years, breeding every summer.
This incredible natural phenomenon will see the creatures emerge from the ground mainly in the early evening hours, then climbing into the trees where the males will emit a loud screeching noise to attract the females. The cacophony will be followed by the chorus of clicks from responding females, intensifying mating activity. About three weeks laterwith the completion of mating and egg-laying, the adults will dieleaving the new eggs to continue the cycle.
The incredible event will not go unnoticed, and is already expected trillions of cicadas emerging simultaneously in 17 states. Although the possibility of two different colonies interbreeding is low due to the limited geographic overlap, the event remains a unique opportunity to observe one of the most fascinating phenomena in the insect kingdom.
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