Millions of cicadas are expected to emerge after 17 years underground because, of course, it's 2020

[RandySF]

As if we didn’t have enough to worry about with giant murder hornets invading the US and a global pandemic, millions of 17-year cicadas will emerge from the ground this year.

As many as 1.5 million cicadas per acre may emerge, and people living in Southwest Virginia, parts of North Carolina and West Virginia could witness this unique phenomenon, Virginia Tech says in a news release.

Luckily, cicadas are harmless to humans. At most, the noise they make could become a nuisance.

“Communities and farms with large numbers of cicadas emerging at once may have a substantial noise issue,” said Eric Day, Virginia Cooperative Extension entomologist in Virginia Tech’s Department of Entomology.

“Hopefully, any annoyance at the disturbance is tempered by just how infrequent — and amazing — this event is.”

However, they are a danger to orchids, vines and trees due to the egg-laying habits of its females.


https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2020/05/22/millions-of-cicadas-are-expected-to-emerge-after-17-years-underground-because-of-course-its-2020/?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_content=tw-EastBayTimes

[LeftInTX]

1. I think cicadas are kinda cool. They're the least of my worries

[yortsed snacilbuper]

2. You find prime numbers in the life cycles of cicadas

There are about 1,500 species of cicadas known. There are those that appear yearly in midsummer, and there are also the so-called "periodic" cicadas. They appear at prime number intervals - 7 years, 13 years and 17 years.

biologists have asked for a long time whether it's just a coincidence that the emergence period of the three species of periodic cicadas (7, 13 and 17 years) are all prime numbers.

One previous theory was that if the cicadas are running on different cycles, and if these cycles are prime numbers, they'll cross over only very rarely. For example, a 13-year cycle and 17-year cycle will meet only every 221 years. That means that both species of cicadas would come out in huge numbers and all have to compete for the same amount of food only once every 221 years. The rest of the time, there would be enough food.

https://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2001/11/27/421251.htm

[I_UndergroundPanther]

3. Each cicada has a unique voice.

Their choruses if you really listen to it is otherworldly. It has crescendo's and a rhythm to it. I like the sound they make

[Historic NY]

4. Bird will have a field day.....

[jberryhill]

5. I love peak cicada years