Cicadas Are Coming In 2024 in a Rare ‘Double Brood.’ Here Are the 15 States Where the Invasion Is Happening

Cicadas, which take 13 to 17 years to emerge from their subterranean slumber, will happen as Cicada Brood XIX (19) and Cicada Brood XIII (13)

In 2024, two distinct broods of cicadas will emerge after a 13-year dormancy, affecting 18 states across the nation. Notably, one state will experience the emergence of both broods, according to Cicada Mania .

Cicadas, which take 13 to 17 years to emerge from their subterranean slumber, will happen as Cicada Brood XIX (19) and Cicada Brood XIII (13).

What is a cicada, exactly?

Cicadas are a superfamily of insects, the Cicadoidea , and order of Hemiptera — their suborder makes cicadas related to leafhoppers and froghoppers, and they are often commonly misidentified for locusts or grasshoppers .

Cicadas, while not harmful to humans, are very loud, due to their distinctive male mating call. They do not sting or bite, per Cicada Mania, although they may suck and pierce because they mistake the human or animal picking them up as a tree from which they feed.

These are unlike the green cicadas , which Cicada Mania says are seen annually.

Cicada Brood XIX Will Impact 15 States

Cicada Brood XIX (19) is a 13-year life cycle known as "The Great Southern Brood" and it's the largest brood based on geographical area, according to researchers at the University of Connecticut .

Per the university's cicada research, the 13-year cycle of these cicadas is more common in the southeastern U.S., but are found as far north as Illinois, and have been spotted "Maryland to Georgia and in the Midwest from Iowa to Oklahoma." This will be their first appearance in the general area since 2011, Cicada Mania mentions .

This year, Cicada Brood XIX will appear in the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. They will start their arrival in mid-May and end in late June and pop out when the soil 8 inches underground reaches 64 degrees Fahrenheit.

All four species of 13-year cicadas — Magicicada neotredecim, Magicicada tredecim, Magicicada tredecassini, and Magicicada tredecula — will make their appearance across "The Southern Brood," per Cicadia Mania.

"A nice, warm rain will often trigger an emergence," Cicada Mania says . "These cicadas will emerge after the trees have grown leaves, and...around the same time Iris flowers bloom."

Cicada Brood XIII Will Impact Five States

Cicada Brood XIII (13) has a 17-year lifespan and last emerged in 2007. All three 17-year species — Magicicada septendecim, Magicicada cassini, and Magicicada septendecula — will make their ritual appearance in Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and possibly Michigan .

They emerge in the same form, fashion, and conditions as the 13-year cicadas appear.

Cicadas Love Illinois

The state of Illinois is in for a double invasion in 2024, with both broods set to swarm the state. Researchers also note that The Prarie state poses an interesting conundrum for cicada science.

Per UCONN's analysis , "Illinois presents a particular challenge for understanding periodical cicada biology, because it contains both 13 and 17-year life cycles, all 7 currently recognized species, and five separate broods, some of which include disjunct populations."

What Makes Cicadas Remarkable?

The "sound-producing" insect has two pairs of wings, a "prominent eye" and three "simple eyes" — growing between 0.8 to 2 inches, according to Britannica .

The song produced by North American cicadas is a cacophony of buzzes, whines, and ticks that can be heard as musical and are made specifically by males during this mating season.

Female cicadas lay their eggs in the "woody plant tissue" and are usually spotted around trees. The eggs fall from their birthing place and into the ground, where they feed from perennial plants and take years to molt, repeating the cycle.

Globally, there are 3,000 known species of cicadas — excluding two "hairy" versions found exclusively in southeastern Australia, Britannica says .