Capitol News

Hannah Burrack, chair of the Department of Entomology at Michigan State University, has provided insights into a rare occurrence involving cicadas. For the first time in over two centuries, Brood XIX, known as the Great Southern Brood, and Brood XIII, referred to as the Northern Illinois Brood, will emerge simultaneously.

Cicadas are insects from the family Cicadidae. In North America, periodic cicadas are notable for their synchronized emergence cycles of either 13 or 17 years. These insects spend most of their lives underground as nymphs feeding on plant roots before emerging en masse.

Burrack explains that this year is special because "two large 'broods,' which are a group of periodic cicadas that emerge during the same year," will appear together. This event occurs once every 25 years or so and involves a significant number of people across 17 states experiencing a mass emergence. Indiana and Illinois may witness both broods at once. The next simultaneous emergence of these specific broods will not occur for another 221 years.

Annual cicadas differ from periodic ones by not synchronizing their emergence. Some species have one-year life cycles and emerge annually in late summer.

The expected emergence in 2024 will begin when soil temperatures exceed 64 degrees Fahrenheit, likely occurring in April and May. The Northern Illinois Brood is found in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin, while the Great Southern Brood spans several southern states including Alabama and Georgia.

Adult cicadas remain active for just over a month before dying off. They pose no harm to humans or pets but can affect young trees due to egg-laying activities by females after mating.