Get Ready to Welcome the 17-Year Cicada

This summer, Magicicada Brood II, also known as the 17-year cicacda, will emerge in our area, and all along the Eastern Seaboard. Even though you’re familiar with their buzzing sounds each year, those are “non-periodical” or  “annual” cicadas, and the 17-year guys are different, as the Magicicada website explains:

Magicicada are so synchronized developmentally that they are nearly absent as adults in the 12 or 16 years between emergences. When they do emerge after their long juvenile periods, they do so in huge numbers, forming much denser aggregations than those achieved by most other cicadas.

If you’re psyched about their appearance, or you have some kids who are interested, WNYC has a cool project going on to help predict when the Magicicada will emerge. You can build your own temperature sensor which, once inserted into a spot in the ground, can help determine their arrival. If you don’t feel crafty, you can follow along with WNYC’s coverage as others from around the region report in with their findings.

Cicada shell photo by THIS IS DITMAS