The invasion is happening! Once in more than a decade, millions of red-eyed, buzzing cicadas will soon be just about everywhere in much of Missouri! Mass emergences of millions of periodical cicadas, which happen every 13 or 17 years, are happening this spring.

  Also known as locusts, these insects spend most of their life underground for 2-5 years in the nymph stage where they use their straw-like mouth to drink from plant and tree roots. Each summer, a portion of these cicadas emerge, molting to winged adults measuring about 2 inches long and can be black, green or olive-patterned. During the few weeks of their adult lifespan, they sing, mate and reproduce the next generation.

Every 13 years, here in Missouri we experience the periodical cicadas. Like magic, these smaller cicadas, about 1-1/2 inches in length with blackish bodies and red eyes, emerge. In May and June 2024, Brood XIX (19) nicknamed “The Great Southern Brood” will emerge in Missouri as well as 14 other southeastern states. This is actually 4 species of 13-year cicadas, last seen in 2011, according to Dr. Tamara Reall, Horticulture Specialist with MU Extension in Jackson County, Missouri. “Magically they all emerge together, hence their scientific genus name Magicicada.” Actually, when soil temperature 8 inches deep reaches about 64 degrees (often after a warm rain) it triggers the magical emersion of periodic cicadas. They are poor fliers and do not bite or sting. They provide a valuable source of food for birds; they also make good fishing bait.

Surprisingly, periodic cicadas only emerge in the eastern half of North America. Scientists are still researching why they only emerge in this portion of the United States. This year there are two periodic broods that will emerge at the same time in May and June: Brood XIX (13-year cicadas) and Brood XIII (17-year cicadas). The last time both broods emerged at the same time was in 1803, when Thomas Jefferson was president and signed the Louisiana Purchase. These two broods emerging at the same time won’t happen again for another 221 years!

However, here in Missouri, we will only experience Brood XIX (19) along with the annual cicada. The next periodic cicada emergence will be in 2028 with Brood XXIII (23) in central and southeastern Missouri.

Classroom Connections:

• Male cicadas have two thin membranes called tymbals on their abdomen. They vibrate these rib-like structures very fast using muscles in their body, much like you can create sound moving a flexible straw. This sound attracts female cicadas. Have students explore sound vibrations by covering a bowl with plastic wrap and securing the plastic with a rubber band. Place a small piece of paper on the plastic wrap, then tap your fingers on the plastic wrap. Observe the paper’s movement or vibration.

• Spend time in the schoolyard listening to and looking for cicadas. Record your observations on this field notes worksheet and learn more about periodical cicadas from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Different species of cicada make different types of sounds and often at different times of the day.
• The swamp or morning cicada makes a buzz that intensifies to a rapid pulsing “chatter” before dying away, lasting 8-12 seconds and heard from about 8-11 in the morning.
• The Robinson’s cicada makes a repetitive, rhythmic “pZEE-ape” sound mostly from midmorning to early afternoon.
• If you hear a “WHEE-oo” or “WHEE-yer” sound in the evening, that’s likely the scissors grinder cicada.
• Contribute to scientific understanding using Cicada Safari. All you need is a GPS enabled smartphone. Take a sharp, close-up photo and submit it for researchers to identify the species. This allows scientists to map observations by species, date and location.