People who have visited Cape Cod in recent weeks have likely heard the unmistakable sound of thousands of cicadas, but as we enter the dog days of summer, the insect’s long journey of 17 years is coming to a close.
What You Need To Know
- Brood XIV, a large group of periodical cicadas found on Cape Cod, is nearing the end of its life cycle
- This particular group of cicadas emerges once every 17 years, and won’t be seen again until 2042
- The sound of male cicadas in the wild can be quite loud, with the potential to reach nearly 100 decibels
- This particular brood last emerged in 2008
Periodical cicadas spend most of their lives underground feeding on plant roots and slowly developing for the life awaiting them on the surface.
Mike Nelson, an invertibrate zoologist for MassWildlife, said it’s a bittersweet existence above the soil…