Map shows trillions of cicada bugs to swarm US for first time in 200 years (2024)

There will be millions more cicadas than usual this coming summer (Image: Getty)

A terrifying map reveals that the US is bracing for a bug invasion as trillions of cicadas are set to emerge this year.

For the first time in over 200 years, two unique groups of humming cicadas, known as Broods XIX and XIII, are expected to pop up from the ground together in the spring season. They'll be most plentiful in Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, as shown by this map created with USDA data.

States like Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota should also brace themselves for a large number of cicadas this year. The last time these particular broods appeared together was during Thomas Jefferson's presidency and the Louisiana Purchase.

Cicadas, famous for their loud drone or ear-splitting noises, spend most of their lives underground and emerge annually.

While it's unlikely that there'll be a massive influx of insects in the District region, certain parts of Virginia's Eastern Shore and St. Mary's County, Maryland, Philadelphia, and throughout Illinois are most likely to be affected by Brood XIX, reports the Mirror US.

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This summer will see a huge amount of cicadas in east coast areas (Image: USDA)

Billions of buzzing bugs are expected to invade the US this summer with the return of the 17-year cicadas.

Two groups of the insects Brood XIII and Brood XIX will join forces in Illinois, meaning the Prairie State is set to be filled with noisy bugs this summer.

This rare cicada season hasn't been seen since 1803, but experts say the Philly region shouldn't expect a "swarmageddon."

Michael Hutchinson, an entomology program manager for the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, said: Brood XIII is going to be emerging out in the Midwest, and then there's Brood XIX, which is in the more southern US They will converge, and Illinois is going to be inundated with cicadas."

Although Pennsylvania's not expected to see the huge numbers, Hutchinson added: "We already have annual cicadas".

In parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, there are yearly cicadas known as "dog day cicadas," which can be heard every summer, he said.

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Why are more cicadas expected in 2024 than usual?

Periodical cicadas live in groups, or "broods," with either 13 or 17-year lifecycles found in parts of the U. S.

Different kinds of 13 and 17-year cicada broods pop up at various times based on their species and where they live. For the 2024 event, 17-year cicadas born in 2007 will show up in parts of Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois.

The light blue cicadas from 2011 are going to spread out a lot, with the most in Missouri and Illinois.

These loud insects have a clever way to stay safe. They come in huge numbers which confuses the animals that might eat them, so more of them can stay alive.

Even if they're a bit bothersome, it's important to remember that cicadas don't bite or sting, they don't make us sick, and they help nature a lot.

Cicadas make their special chirping noise with a part of their body that's on the side of their belly, under their wings. "If you were to pick up a cicada, you'd be able to see this structure", Hutchinson explained.

"It kind of reminds me of a bendy straw, where you can contract and expand the bendy part and you get a weird sound," Hutchinson described. "Imagine that, but they can bend, contract, and expand that bendy straw much faster than a human could, resulting in this incredibly loud noise."

This article was crafted with the help of AI tools, which speeds up the Daily Express editorial research. A Daily Express editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors here

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