• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Daggerhart Destinations

We are passionate about nature, wildlife, and travel. Our goal is to promote wildlife conservation and responsible tourism.

  • Home
  • Destinations
    • Wildlife
    • Family
    • Remote
    • Nature
    • Luxury
  • Off the Beaten Path
  • Portfolio
  • Blog
  • About
Home » 17-Year Cicadas – Insect Invasion

17-Year Cicadas – Insect Invasion

Updated October 3, 2019 2 Comments

The mass invasion of these insects is a wildlife phenomenon that has intrigued people for centuries. Some species of cicadas  emerge periodically by the millions all around the globe.

This natural wildlife event has been on my bucket list for years.  When I found out that the 17-year cicada would be emerging in my state, I knew I had to experience this. If this ignites your inner entomologist, continue reading to learn more on where and when to experience this invasion.  If bugs make you squeamish, you may want to find out if they will be in your area so you can skip town.

This 17 year cicada is perching on a blade of grass in Mansfield, Ohio.

About Cicadas

Some people commonly refer to these insects as “locusts” but they are actually called cicadas. There are thousands of different subspecies of cicadas all over the world. These insects are most well-known for making soothing, and sometimes rather loud, buzzing songs in the summer months. Their molted shells are often left found clinging to trees or buildings.

Cicadas have a very short adult lifespan above the ground of about a month. After the insects have successfully mated, the male dies. The female finds a tree or bush to deposit her eggs for the future generation. She will make a cut into a tree branch and lay up to 600 eggs before she dies.

This is a pair of mating cicadas I found in Drake Bay, Costa Rica.

Many believe that cicadas symbolize personal transformation, renewal, or rebirth.  These insects do not undergo a complete metamorphosis like a butterfly or a moth. The cicada simply transforms from nymph to adult.

Life Cycle

After the eggs are fully developed, a nymph will hatch and fall to the ground.  It will burrow a hole in the earth where it will continue to grow. Cicadas live the majority of their life underground in complete darkness. They feed off of the nutrients of tree roots until hibernation is over and they are ready to mate.

RELATED POSTS  How to See the Monarch Migration

Some species of cicadas will live underground for one year while others will continue underground for 13 or 17 years. When the ground temperatures are just right, they emerge and will crawl up the closest structure and molt their shell. The fully developed cicada will hang out for a few hours and allow their wings to dry before flying around to find a mate.

The most well known species in The United States are the Magicicada and the Periodical.

The annual cicada, known scientifically as Magicicada, emerges from hibernation every summer in The United States.  The body color is a light green with an iridescent gold shimmer coating.  The arrival of this smaller population of species occurs annually and is well-spread out all over the country.

This is an annual cicada in Ohio that has just emerged from its shell. Once its wings are dry, it will fly around and find a mate.

The periodical cicada, also known as the 13 or 17-year cicada, emerge from the ground every 13 or 17 years. They are larger in size than the annual cicada. This species has a black body with distinct red eyes. However, when they first emerge from their shell, the body is white in color.


These are the type of cicadas that emerge by the millions, invading cities across the eastern United States. When cicadas emerge in mass quantities, they are classified by “broods”. Scientists are able to map out when and where they will emerge based on this classification.

This is a photo of a periodical cicada soon after it emerged from its shell. After a few hours, the body and wings will turn black in color.

My day with a cicada invasion

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved everything about nature and wildlife.  Especially in the summer months, my memories are filled with the sounds of summer, the sparkling night lights of fireflies, and the magic of finding the small treasures of cicada shells. When I heard on the news that these alien-like insects would be invading in my home state, I knew I had to experience this wildlife wonder. Much like witnessing the monarch migration in Mexico, these are two wildlife encounters all nature lovers should see.

RELATED POSTS  Mexico Road Trip - Dare to Explore the True Wild Mexico

If your kids are bug lovers, here is a short cartoon that explains the 17 year cicada.

I did some research on where they were expected to emerge and picked a day for our excursion.  My kids and parents volunteered to accompany me on a road trip for the cicada hunt. The news informed me that Brood V was in Mansfield, Ohio. However, we didn’t know exactly where to find them.


Most of our time was spent driving around in rural areas such as nature parks and around lakes.  We weren’t having any luck, so we headed into town to scope out the neighborhoods. Finally, after searching for signs of these insects, we spotted a telephone pole filled with shells and live insects.

This photo shows all of the different stages the cicada goes through after emerging from the ground.

We were all so excited! It was amazing how many cicadas invaded this town.  The shells left behind covered yards and sidewalks.  People were using leaf blowers to clean off driveways and porches.  Our day was a success and it is an experience none of us will ever forget.  I will continue to be fascinated by cicadas and if there is another invasion near me, you better believe I will be there.

This bush is weighed down with hundreds of 17 year cicadas. They emerge at the base of trees and climb up to dry their wings.

What is the purpose of these insect invasions?

These creatures emerge all over the globe, sometimes in mass quantities. Some species of the cicada emerge annually while others emerge only every 13 or 17 years. But why?

  • The Periodical Cicadas have a better change of survival if they only emerge every 13 or 17 years.  Predators cannot possibly consume millions of cicadas in the given amount of time during these mass invasions.
  • The female cicadas lay their eggs in small branches of trees, which in return is a natural pruning process.
  • The shells left behind of cicadas fall to the ground to enrich the soil.
  • These insects are Mother Earth’s way of aerating the ground for the health of all plant species.
RELATED POSTS  Pearl Fryer's Topiary Garden

This is why nature amazes me!

If you are interested in learning more about these bugs, Cicadamania.com is an excellent resource. They offer up to date cicada news and also have maps available to find out if any will be emerging in your area.

I found this tiny cicada species during a night hike in Costa Rica. This is the smallest kind I’ve seen.

I’ve seen pictures of large, gorgeous cicada species native to Malaysia and I’m dying to see those in person. I’ll add that to my bucket list of natural wildlife wonders.

  • Share
  • Tweet

Related Posts

  • flying monarch butterflies
    Sierra Chincua - Raw and Authentic Wildlife Viewing Experience

    The migration of the monarch butterfly is one of the world's most fascinating wildlife phenomenons. Millions of butterflies travel thousands of miles to a winter haven in central Mexico. Some fly all the way from Canada and parts of the eastern United States until they reach their destination. Sierra Chincua…

  • El Rosario - The Most Magical Wildlife Experience

    El Rosario Butterfly Sanctuary is home to millions of monarch butterflies in the winter months.  These butterflies travel thousands of miles from the eastern parts of North America to meet up for hibernation.  This remote safe haven is located high in the Sierra Madre mountains in central Mexico. There are…

  • What is Ethical Wildlife Travel?

    When you travel, are you leaving a positive impact on wildlife and the environment? The growing business of eco-tourism allows travelers to respect and help preserve what animals are entitled to as fellow earthlings. Ethical wildlife travel is enjoying wild animals in their natural habitat without exploiting them. It is…

Filed Under: North America, United States, Wildlife Tagged With: Insects, Ohio

About Laura

Laura is the creator of Daggerhart Destinations. She also operates a licensed non-profit wildlife rehabilitation center in Ohio where she rehabs orphaned or injured wild animals and releases them back into the wild. When Laura's not rescuing animals, she travels to experience unique destinations and wildlife wonders. She is a lover of nature, animals, good food, and yoga.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Floss says

    March 11, 2019 at 12:15 pm

    Wow! I’ve always wondered about cicadas. We call them ’squeaky monsters’ in our family and often try and find where the noise is coming from. Thanks for the info. Proper ugly though, aren’t they?! 😁

    Reply
    • Laura says

      March 11, 2019 at 4:26 pm

      My pleasure. I had fun writing about them and going through my pictures. “Squeaky monsters” that’s cute.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Join Our Mailing List

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

Categories

daggerhart_destinations

We haven’t seen any keas yet.🤞There are a few We haven’t seen any keas yet.🤞There are a few locations where they frequent due to humans feeding them. Remember, keep wildlife wild, do not feed any wild animals!
-
-
-
#keepwildlifewild #responsibletravel #travel #newzealand #kea #wildlife #conservation #donotfeedwildlife #cheekybird #bird #nz #daggerhartdestinations
The many views of New Zealand - - - #travel #views The many views of New Zealand
-
-
-
#travel #views #newzealand #landscapes #beautiful #nature #destinations #hukafalls #mtcook #lakepukaki #predatorfreeisland #roadtrip #daggerhartdestinations
Islamorada, FL - - We were blessed with many magic Islamorada, FL
-
-
We were blessed with many magical manatee moments during our stay In the Keys.
-
-
-
#family #holiday #islamorada #thefloridakeys  #florida #vacation #manatee #seacow #gentlegiant #peaceful #creatures #wildlife #nature #underwaterphotography #tropical #destination #familytravel #daggerhartdestinations
Islamorada, FL - - - #florida #sunset #islamorada Islamorada, FL
-
-
-
#florida #sunset #islamorada #floridakeys #holiday #tropical #family #vacation #travel #beautiful #destination #daggerhartdestinations
Greystoke Mahale, Tanzania - - - #travel #africa # Greystoke Mahale, Tanzania
-
-
-
#travel #africa #tanzania #remote beautiful #luxury #destination #nature #wildlife #greystokes #mahale #national #park #sunset #kayak #lake #beach #mountains #daggerhartdestinations
Greystoke Mahale, Tanzania - - - #travel #africa Greystoke Mahale, Tanzania
-
-
-

#travel #africa #tanzania #remote #destination #nature #wildlife #photography #greystokemahale #mahale #national #park #wild #chimpanzees #chimps #responsible #ethical #animal #tourism #daggerhartdestinations
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Footer

Search

Contact                               Privacy

Copyright © 2023