First Cicada Emergence Since 1803? Do cicadas really lie that long

The year 2024 is an interesting - and dare I say exciting! - year for cicadas.  It is the first time in over 200 years that cicada broods XIX and XIII will emerge at the same time.  But, unfortunately, most of Texas is not going to experience these particular cicadas.

Cicada nymph emerged from soil, ready to molt into adult.
Photo by Manu and Indra Gregory

Cicadas are insects that spend the majority of their life in the soil, feeding on roots.  For most species, eggs are laid on twigs and branches in late summer.  Nymphs hatch, drop to the ground, burrow into the soil and start feeding on roots.  They go through a series of molts, called instars, before emerging as adults to make the sounds of summer.  This cycle of all the cicadas is called a brood.  Depending on the brood, this timeline can take 1-17 years!  In Texas, our typical cicadas, Tibicen spp., takes 2-5 years to complete their lifecycle.  Impressive, but not as long as the periodical cicada species, which are 13 or 17 year broods.  Tibicen spp are often referred to as Dog Day Cicadas because they're populations peak during the dog days of summer.

Adult cicada, Tibicen sp.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Bart Drees

The only periodical cicada brood tht we may see is Brood IV - the Kansan brood - which last emerged in 2015 and will again emerge in 2032.  Only a small portion of North Texas may see/hear this cicada, while the rest of the state will experience the Dog Day Cicada.

Cicada Brood Map
USDA Forest Service By Andrew M. Liebhold, Michael J. Bohne, and Rebecca L. Lilja 

Where can you see the two cicada broods this summer?  You'll have to travel to Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and maybe Michigan.  They unfortunately, will be no where near Texas, and no other broods will be emerging in our area either.