Cicada Surge: Waukesha naturalist explains 17-year phenomenon

Within the next few weeks, parts of southeastern Wisconsin may see a surge of cicadas.

For the first time in 17 years, Brood XIII, a group of periodical cicadas, will emerge from the ground and make themselves known with their iconic hum.

Even more unique, this emergence overlaps with the emergence of Brood XIX, 13-year cicadas.

“This is a thirteen and seventeen-year occurrence. It only comes up once every 221 years,” Erin McKeon Ricchio, a park naturalist at the Retzer Nature Center in Waukesha, explained. “The last time this happened, Thomas Jefferson was president.”

TMJ4, Kaylee Staral

Brood XIX won’t be in Wisconsin, however, our neighbors to the south, including Illinois, could see millions of both broods over May and June .

In Wisconsin, McKeon Ricchio said we may see pockets of Brood XIII, which are different than the cicadas Wisconsin sees every year.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service website, Brood XIII is expeceted to emerge in Jefferson, Walworth, Waukesha, and Milwaukee Counties.

McKeon Ricchio is hopeful, but hesitant due to the lack of recorded data from past broods in Southeastern Wisconsin.

“We didn’t have the technology back then. If we have more people looking and more technology this year, maybe we’ll have better records,” McKeon Ricchio said.

Still, for her and many others, the emergence is a phenomenon.

“It’s almost a miracle. It’s like their genus name, Magicicada. They’re like magic,” she smiled.

After they emerge, cicadas live for about four to six weeks, McKeon Ricchio said. This means they'll only be around in Wisconsin through the beginning of July.

Although they can be loud, McKeon Ricchio said they are harmless, and in fact, help the environment by aerating the soil and acting as part of the food chain.

If you think you spot one of the Brood XIII cicadas, you can take a photo on the app Cicada Safari and see where else the ancient critters are being found across the country.

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