In 2024, the most notable "new bugs" making headlines are periodical cicadas, specifically a rare dual emergence of two distinct broods that haven't appeared together since the early 19th century. This unique natural event involves billions of cicadas emerging from underground simultaneously.
The Unprecedented 2024 Cicada Emergence
The year 2024 marks a truly exceptional phenomenon in the insect world: the simultaneous emergence of two different species of periodical cicadas, an occurrence that happens only once every 221 years. This event is incredibly rare, with the last such dual emergence taking place when Thomas Jefferson was president.
These aren't "new" species in the sense of being recently discovered, but rather ancient insects that have spent more than a decade living underground as nymphs, feeding on tree roots, before emerging en masse for their brief adult life stage. Their synchronized appearance after such long intervals makes them "new" to the surface environment.
The Two Concurrent Broods
Two specific broods are at the center of this historic emergence:
- 13-Year Cicada Brood: One large group of cicadas has been developing underground for 13 years.
- 17-Year Cicada Brood: Another distinct group has been underground for 17 years.
The synchronized emergence of these two broods, with their different life cycles, creates an incredibly dense and widespread population of adult cicadas in affected regions.
| Brood Cycle | Time Spent Underground | Significance of 2024 Emergence |
|---|---|---|
| 13-Year | 13 years | Part of a rare dual emergence |
| 17-Year | 17 years | Part of a rare dual emergence |
This is not a common event; the specific combination of these two broods emerging together is a once-in-221-year occurrence.
Why is this Emergence Significant?
The mass emergence of periodical cicadas is a fascinating ecological event with several key impacts:
- Sheer Numbers: Billions of cicadas emerge almost simultaneously, creating an overwhelming presence in the landscape.
- Sound: Adult male cicadas produce a remarkably loud mating call, often reaching decibel levels comparable to a lawnmower or motorcycle, which can be constant in affected areas.
- Ecological Role: While noisy, cicadas are harmless to humans and pets. They play an important ecological role by:
- Aerating the soil as nymphs.
- Providing a massive food source for birds, mammals, and other predators.
- Pruning trees, as females lay eggs in small slits they make in tree branches.
- Historical Rarity: The 2024 dual emergence offers a unique opportunity for scientists and the public to observe a natural phenomenon that few generations ever witness.
Understanding Periodical Cicadas
Periodical cicadas are different from annual cicadas, which appear every year. The "periodical" designation refers to their long, synchronized life cycles, emerging only every 13 or 17 years, depending on the brood.
During their time underground, cicada nymphs feed on the sap from tree roots. Once the soil temperature reaches a certain threshold in late spring or early summer, they tunnel to the surface, molt into their adult form, mate, lay eggs, and then die, completing their life cycle. Their offspring will then begin the long journey underground, awaiting their own emergence decades in the future.
