Cicada Fever is Here! by Carrie McBride, CommunicationsMay 6, 2021

The cicadas are coming! Periodical cicadas are insects that live underground and emerge periodically for only a few months. How periodically? Only every 13 or 17 years. Soon (any day now), cicadas of Brood X—which emerge from the ground every 17 years—will surface in 15 different states in the U.S. to molt, mate and then complete their life cycle. There will be trillions of them. Yes, trillions.

Some people find all bugs revolting, but it's hard not to be fascinated by periodical cicadas and their rare (yet amazingly sychronized) mass appearance above ground. Much like infrequent astrological events, the arrival of the cicadas is considered by many to be one of Earth's extraordinary natural occurrences and witnessing it is an exciting few-times-in-a-lifetime event.

For cicada enthusiasts, we've gathered together some images from our Digital Collections for you to view. Enjoy!

Cicadae, Lantern-Fly, etc.
Cicadae, Lantern-Fly, etc. 1898. NYPL Digital Collections, Image ID: 416890
Ausländische Cikaden.
Ausländische Cikaden. NYPL Digital Collections, Image ID: 806697
Cigale Remarquable (Cicada Speciosa, Illig.).
Cigale Remarquable (Cicada Speciosa, Illig.). NYPL Digital Collections, Image ID: 806712
Cicada.
Cicada, 1890. NYPL Digital Collections, Image ID: 806703
Transformation Of Cicada Septendecim.
Transformation Of Cicada Septendecim, 1885. NYPL Digital Collections, Image ID: 806463
Forms of the cicada issuing from the pupa-case.
Forms of the cicada issuing from the pupa-case, 1904. NYPL Digital Collections, Image ID: 806461
Persimmon and cicada
Persimmon and cicada. NYPL Digital Collections, Image ID: 57273417
1. Cicada Maculata; 2. Cicada Stridula; 3. Aphana Lanata; 4. Scolia ? Mutillæformis; 5. Lepisma Collaris; 6. Milesia Virginiensis; 7. Cælioxys? Annularis.
1. Cicada Maculata 2. Cicada Stridula 3. Aphana Lanata 4. Scolia Mutillæformis;5. Lepisma Collaris 6. Milesia Virginiensis 7. Cælioxys Annularis. NYPL Digital Collections, Image ID: 107828

 

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Cicada Fever is Here! A comment

Submitted by Alison Quammie (not verified) on May 6, 2021 - 6:42pm

Carrie, thanks for sharing this little story about the Cicadas. What I remember the most of these fantastical insects was their chatter - it was unlike anything I'd ever heard. And yes it was approximately 17 years ago, quite the cycle!