They’re Back!

Adult form Periodical cicada

The local brood of periodical cicadas (Genus: Magicicadia) return to this portion of southwestern Virginia every 17 years. According to the National Wildlife Federation, “Cicadas are mostly beneficial. They prune mature trees, aerate the soil, and once they die, their bodies serve as an important source of nitrogen for growing trees.”

And they are LOUD! Males cluster in groups calling out to attract females. After mating, female cicadas make furrows in slender tree branches and deposit their eggs. The larvae hatch, drop to the ground, and burrow beneath the soil again. The year that each particular brood will emerge is easily predicted by counting forward 13 or 17 years from their last emergence.

Cicadas only need to survive for a short time to mate and lay eggs. There are so many of them that their numbers are minimally impacted by predation. They are most vulnerable in larval form to pesticides and chemicals applied to the soil.

To find out more, visit: https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Invertebrates/Periodical-Cicadas