Will there be a double brood of cicadas in western North Carolina this year?

North Carolina residents will hear that telltale drone early this year when 13-year periodic cicadas emerge in the state – part of a rare USA”co-emergence” with a periodic second litter.

The 13-year-old Brood XIX will appear in 14 states in the Southeast and Midwest, and a 17-year-old Brood XIII will appear in five states in the Midwest around the same time, according to the Cicada Mania website.

This co-emergence will be the first time litters overlap in 221 years. If you can wait 20 years, you will be able to capture the next total solar eclipse in the US in 2044. The next double appearance of these two broods, however, will occur 200 years from now, in 2245.

North Carolina sees a few cicadas every year, but periodical cicadas are a little different. Most notably, unlike our black and green annual cicadas, periodic cicadas are mostly black, with amber wings and striking red eyes. And although they share this appearance, not all species in a given litter are the same.

Dedicated University of Connecticut website described periodic groups of cicadas or “broods” as “fitting together like pieces of a puzzle, both in time and space.” Broods are not species or populations, but are described as regional, multispecies groupings of periodical cicadas that emerge on a common schedule.

Here’s what else you should know about two broods of cicadas emerging this year.

When will the cicadas emerge?

Both broods are estimated to emerge from mid-May and last until the end of June. The two broods will begin to emerge when the soil 8 inches deep reaches 64 degrees. Emergencies are often triggered by a hot summer rain.

This is another variation of annual “dog day” cicadaswhich appear at the end of July and August.

Will both litters be in North Carolina?

Not a fan of insects? You’ll be relieved to know that North Carolina will see just the 13-year-old Brood XIX emerge to join our annual cicadas this summer. Cicada Mania actually lists Buncombe County as the only WNC county expected to see the emergence of this litter, according to previous Citizen Times reporting.

Brood XIX is also known as the Great Southern Brood, a title earned because it is the largest of all periodic cicada broods. Brood XIX cicadas have been recorded along the eastern seaboard from Maryland to Georgia and in the Midwest from Iowa to Oklahoma.

Where do cicadas live?

Although different broods of periodic cicadas have different territories, they are all found in eastern and midwestern states. After hatching, the cicada larvae burrow into the soil, where they live until they emerge. Then, the cicadas migrate to trees and shrubs to spend the rest of their lives reproducing.

What are Brood XIX cicadas?

Brood XIX cicadas have a 13-year life cycle. This means they last emerged in 2011. The brood is estimated to emerge in a greater number of states than brood XIII as of mid-May. You’ll hear them buzzing until the end of June, according to Cicada Mania. The Great Southern Brood will appear in the following states:

• Alabama

• Arkansas

• Georgia

• Illinois

• Indiana

• Kentucky

• Louisiana

• Mississippi

• Missouri

• North Caroline

• Oklahoma

• South Carolina

• Tennessee

• Virginia

What are Brood XIII cicadas?

Brood XIII cicadas have a longer life cycle of 17 years, but will emerge in a significantly smaller area. They last appeared in 2007 and, like Brood XIX, their appearance this year will begin in mid-May and end at the end of June. Brood XIII will spawn in these states:

• Illinois

• Indiana

• Iowa

• Wisconsin

The brood may also appear in Michigan, says Cicada Mania.

Although some states will see the emergence of both broods, they will not significantly overlap in any area. Researchers say this means that although the 2024 co-emergence is a rare occurrence, the density of cicada populations will remain the same as in any other year of periodic cicada emergence.

The Springfield, Illinois area is the most likely area for brood contact in the country, and even in this area, although there may be scattered forested areas in which both broods are present, there will not be widespread overlap.

Iris Seaton is the trends reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Contact her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.

This article originally appeared in the Asheville Citizen Times: Cicadas in 2024: Periodic XIII, XIX broods expected to emerge in US