When do cicadas emerge? Are there cicadas in Florida?

Gianna Montesano, Cheryl McCloud and Samantha Neely, Treasure Coast Newspapers
·2 min read

Trillions of cicadas are ready to emerge from the ground and begin filling the air with their loud buzzing, bringing people to ask, "What's that noise?"

As the two broods — the 13-year Brood XIX and the 17-year Brood XIII — of cicadas begin to surface in more than a dozen states, will Florida be one of them?

It's the first time in 221 years that two different broods will emerge simultaneously. It won't happen again until 2245, according to ScienceAlert.

Here's what we know about the periodic cicadas and if they'll be spotted in Florida anytime soon.

What is a cicada?

Cicadas are members of the superfamily "Cicadoidea" and are physically distinguished by their stout bodies, broad heads, clear-membraned wings and large compound eyes, according to National Geographic. They're also recognizable by their loud buzzing sound.

The din from millions of male cicadas can hit 100 decibels, comparable to standing 3 feet away from a chainsaw.

The most common cicadas in the United States are annual and periodic. While annual cicadas are to be expected every year, periodic cicadas emerge every 13 or 17 years, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Are there cicadas in Florida?

Yes, there are 19 types of cicadas in Florida, which are grouped by size, according to the University of Florida.

Unlike the types expected to emerge in huge numbers elsewhere this year, Florida's cicadas do not come out in massive periodic cycles. Instead, adult cicadas in Florida emerge every year.

While Florida will get its annual cicadas, the state will be free of the 13- and 17-year-old broods emerging throughout several states in the South and Midwest.

Where will cicadas be in 2024?

Brood XIX is set to emerge this spring across the Southeast and Midwest. Brood XIII will emerge in five Midwestern states around the same time, according to Cicada Mania.

Both broods will emerge in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Virginia.

USA Today Florida Network writers Cheryl McCloud and Samantha Neely contributed to this report.

Gianna Montesano is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at gianna.montesano@tcpalm.com, 772-409-1429, or follow her on X (formerly Twitter) @gonthescene.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Here's where cicadas will emerge in 2024 in the United States