Residents gear up for ‘Cicada-Apocalypse’ in Missouri and Illinois
ST. LOUIS — People are going to extremes to avoid the ‘Cicada-Apocalypse’ in Missouri and Illinois, one of them being a mail carrier in north Illinois wearing a beekeeper suit on the job.
Numerous areawide, and very loud in wooded areas. These periodical cicadas are only found in the eastern United States and are some of the longest-lived insects in the world. The brood we’re experiencing in Missouri and western Illinois is Brood 19, also known as the “Great Southern Brood.”.
They emerged from the ground in the first week of May. and before that, they live underground and burrow until they emerge, feasting on eastern-disiduous vegetation roots to survive. While they emerge in large quantities every 13–17 years, only 2% actually make it above ground. And while 2% is overwhelming to us right now, could you imagine the 98%? Their venture here on earth won’t last long, with the end of their 13-year cycle by early to mid-July. Once they all die out, we won’t see them emerge until 2037.
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While cicadas are out now, they might look and sound frightening, but luckily they pose no harm. Their small mouths are only used for eating while they grow underground. They have no ability to bite you and no biological stinger to poke or sting you. But they may be annoying when mowing the lawn this season; cicadas are attracted to the sounds of lawn mowers as it mimics a similar decibel reading to their loud buzzing.
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Cicadas in this quantity provide a free, protein-enriched meal for other living organisms.
Some animals at Chicago`s Brookfield Zoo have been enjoying a bit of variety in their diet. These cicadas have been known to greatly impact survival rates and improve physical fitness.
There is no exact science as to why they only emerge every 13–17 years. the only hypothesis is that they evolve to emerge so their predators cannot match their life cycle.
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