These Underground Bugs Will Resurface After 17 Years

The Brood X, also known as the Great Eastern Brood, is a species of periodical cicada that will re-emerge after 17 years of living underground. Don’t worry, these large winged creatures are mostly harmless, although their buzz isn’t that pleasant to the ears. The cicadas will show up this spring in 15 states in the US:  

“The end of May through June, it can get pretty loud – if you are in an area where they are numerous, there can be hundreds of thousands, or millions, of them,” said Howard Russell, an entomologist (insect scientist) at Michigan State University.

One of the largest broods of periodical cicadas in the nation, Brood X will emerge this spring in 15 states: Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, as well as Washington D.C.

Unlike greenish, annual cicadas, periodical cicadas are known for their black bodies and bold, red eyes. Their mass, in-unison emergence every 17 years is one of nature’s great mysteries.  

But the bugs haven’t been in hibernation since their last mass appearance in 2004.

“They are always there, that’s what people don’t realize,” said John Cooley, an entomologist at the University of Connecticut who studies periodical cicadas.

Image via USA Today