SOUTH CAROLINA — For the first time in 221 years, two broods of cicadas (not locusts) that spend the vast majority of their lives underground will emerge, invading backyards in 17 states — including South Carolina.
Annual vs. Periodical Cicadas
Annual vs. Periodical Cicadas: The differences between these two bugs.
Most cicada species come out every year, but in the United States, there are two periodical broods of cicadas that stay underground for either 13 years or 17 years. The last time they came above ground at the same time was in 1803, “when Thomas Jefferson was president, and Napoleon was thinking about invading England,” Hannah Fry, a British mathematician and science presenter, noted on her Instagram page.
“If for 2024 you had the simultaneous explosion of green teenage bugs all across North America on your bingo card, you are in for a treat,” Fry joked.
What are cicadas?
Cicadas are a family of insects called magicicadas, according to The Associated Press. They differ from other insects in that both the nymphs and adults have a beak they use to drink plant fluids. Adults have two sets of wings.