The crickets are coming. The periodic emergence of trillions of cicadas, on a scale not seen in hundreds of years, is underway in parts of the US, with several states reporting the orange-eyed insects bursting out of their underground dormancy.
Cicadas are arriving earlier than expected in Illinois, a cicada hotspot this year, while there are reports of swarms in Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee, along with some other states.
In South Carolina, the sound of male crickets asking for potential mates has prompted some people to call police asking why they can hear sounds “like a siren, or a whine, or a roar.” One resident said the sound was like “someone shouting.”
The emergence is the largest of its kind since 1803, with trillions of cicadas emerging simultaneously across much of the Midwest and Eastern US. The simultaneous appearance of two cicada broods – known as Brood XIX and Brood
Here’s what you need to know about what’s called “cicada-geddon” or “cicada-palooza.”
When and where do the crickets appear?
Cicadas are already appearing in several states, and many more are expected in the coming weeks as the soil reaches its optimal temperature of around 17 degrees Celsius. This massive burst of life is expected to be visible and raucous but short-lived, with the crickets emerging, reproducing and dying within six weeks, if they avoid being devoured by predators.
The offspring they produce then grow underground until the next emergence, starting the cycle all over again. This process should all be completed by June or July.
Do crickets really sleep for 17 years?
Not all crickets are what is known as “periodic,” meaning they have a lifespan that involves underground development, sucking plant sap before emerging on schedule after a certain number of years.
But of the seven periodical cicada species in the US, three are named Magicicada septendecim, Magicicada cassini And Magicicada septendecula – Spending 17 years underground. Four more species – Magicicada tredecim, Magicicada neotredecim, Magicicada tredecassiniAnd Magicicada tredecula – are in a 13 year cycle.
This year, Brood XIX, the largest of all periodical cicada groups, will emerge after a thirteen-year underground dormancy, at the same time as Brood
While underground, the crickets do not hibernate. As wingless juveniles, they are conscious, dig tunnels for themselves and feed on sap from tree roots.
What is a ‘zombie’ cicada?
Some, but by no means all, of the crickets that emerge this year will be so-called “zombie crickets.” These insects are infected by a sexually transmitted fungus that makes them hypersexual.
Once the fungus’ spores come into contact with the crickets, the insects’ bodies are hijacked by the fungal parasite. A large mass of fungal spores accumulates in the abdomen of infected crickets, causing the back of the animals, including the genitals, to fall off. Despite this, the infected crickets still frantically attempt to mate as a way to spread the fungus, often with disastrous consequences for future mates.
“Periodic crickets have interlocking genitalia. So when they fall apart, guess what happens? Rest in peace. And then there’s a cicada walking around with someone else’s genitals stuck to it,” says John Cooley, a cicada expert at the University of Connecticut.
What should I do when there are trillions of crickets around?
Some people were thinking about food: A bakery in the Chicago area has started making cicada-shaped cakes, while some chefs have offered tips on how to eat the cicadas themselves.
But for others, there is a deeper resonance in the spectacle. “I want to remind people that this is a natural wonder of the world. You don’t see this biomass of terrestrial life anywhere else,” says Catherine Dana, an entomologist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The appearance of crickets on such a scale is certainly not an everyday occurrence; it hasn’t happened since Thomas Jefferson was president of the US. The crickets stick to their routine, even as the world around them changes rapidly.
“Sit back and enjoy the spectacle,” Cooley advised. “It will be over soon enough. Then think about where you will be in 13 or 17 years. It is a time for introspection.”
Okay, but are crickets dangerous to me?
No. Some insect-phobic people are currently wondering whether they should flee the attack. However, cicadas are not harmful to humans or pets in any way, as the insects have a straw-like mouth instead of any biting parts. They don’t sting either. Scientists say people shouldn’t douse them with chemicals as if they were some kind of plague.
However, some crickets have been found to emit urine streams when threatened.
