Cicada Armies Will Descend On Northeast In May During 17-Year Cycle

If you live in the northeastern part of the U.S., you can gear up for a huge descent of cicadas. They are loud, large insects that will emerge from the ground after 17 years, in the middle of May.

The more unusual ones are periodical cicadas, which emerge once every 13 or 17 years and go on with their normal processes of mating, egg laying, and then --- death. They appear only in North America, just sometimes after a number of years.

This year, "Brood V," over a wide latitudinal range is getting ready to visit. While southern populations are discovered at high elevations, northern populations are found at lower ones. About three 17-year species can be identified in North America, even as four more species emerge after every 13 years.

Most cicadas live underground, and only after long, juvenile periods, they emerge in large numbers, forming denser swarms than others.

Periodical cicadas emerge only when the temperatures of the soil at a depth of 7 to 8 inches touch 64 degrees Fahrenheit. As the cold nights keep the soil temperatures low, they emerge only in May.

These black-bodied cicadas, with bright red eyes and orange wing veins, come in abundance mostly in May and June.

The harmless insects do not carry any stings or bites but make up for it with their sheer numbers. They are able to survive predators, and females are able to lay eggs in order to let the next generation take over.

"There will be a large pulse of above-ground food for birds (which will probably see a boost in offspring production)," Chris Simon, a molecular systematist at the University of Connecticut's Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, explained. "In addition, when the cicadas die, there will be a large nutrient input to the soil that will benefit trees and understory vegetation. As the cicadas emerge, underground biomass will decrease and mole and other insectivore populations that have been feasting on them for years will suddenly be left with a lot less food."

Anyway, watch out for the army in the next few weeks.