More than a trillion cicadas are set to emerge from underground this spring to embark on the final leg of their lifetimes, in a massive co-emergence that hasn't been seen in more than 200 years. Here’s an animated look at what will happen in the upcoming emergence of Brood XIX and Brood XIII.
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00:00The cicadas are coming. In case you haven't heard, well you might hear them
00:04outside soon enough, Brood 19 and Brood 13 are emerging at the same time for the
00:11first time since 1803, which was when Thomas Jefferson was president. So let us
00:17give you an animated look at what to expect this spring.
00:22Once the soil temperature near the cicadas' home reaches 64 degrees
00:31Fahrenheit or greater, the buzzing insects begin to climb through their
00:35exit holes. That same night, cicadas transform from nymphs or their sexually
00:41immature phase to adults. The cicadas molt into their new form by shedding
00:45their final exoskeleton. Cicadas must keep a low profile in the hours after
00:50they molt in order for their new exoskeleton to harden and to prevent
00:54being eaten by predators. Afterwards, they begin looking for mates to reproduce in
00:58a ritual that will take place six to ten days later. Male cicadas are known for
01:03their deafening mating call. The sound is caused by the vibration of their timbre,
01:10an organ that rests on the side of their abdomen. Predators like birds, bears, fish,
01:14raccoons, turtles, and even some humans love to feast on cicadas, which are in
01:19the same family as the stink bug. After mating, female cicadas use their
01:24ovipositor to slice into small trees, shrubs, and even grapevines. Females lay
01:29anywhere from 400 to 600 eggs before they begin to die, and then their bodies
01:34become fertilizer for the soil around them. Six to eight weeks after the eggs
01:38are laid, the nymphs hatch and fall to the ground. The tiny nymphs then dig to
01:43plant roots where they'll live for the next 13 or 17 years, depending on the
01:47type of brood. Periodical cicadas will emerge across more than 10 states this
01:51spring. Brood 19 is geographically the largest of all broods, living from
01:55Maryland to Georgia and Iowa to Oklahoma. If you manage to miss them this year, the
02:00next emergence will happen in 2025 with brood 14.