Remember
the great periodical cicada emergence we had here in Georgia back in 2011 – the
“Great Southern Brood”? The Northeast is having its own periodical cicada
emergence this year, but unfortunately it is highly unlikely that we will see
much of Brood II here in Georgia this year.
.jpg) |
| 2011 Periodical Cicada PHOTO/ N.C. Hinkle |
Information
from a 1988 publication hints that periodical cicadas may show up in the very
northeastern corner of the state, so Rabun, Townes, Union, White and Habersham
counties may see periodical cicadas, but it’s doubtful they’ll show up anywhere
else in the state.
It
looks like our next periodical cicada emergence will be in 2017, with
anticipated Brood VI cicadas showing up possibly in the northern third of the
state. Brood X will show up in 2021 and “the Great Southern Brood,” (the
one that was such a hit in 2011) will return in 2024.
If
you want to view the distribution maps for yourself, there are some good ones
at
Of
course, by late June we’ll have our annual “dog day” cicadas popping out around
the state. They’re 50% larger than the periodical cicadas, but are green
and lack the bright red eyes. And they certainly don’t occur in numbers
like the periodical cicadas. Nevertheless, we’ll hear them singing in the
trees every afternoon, providing a lovely backdrop to our summer activities.
_____________
N.
C. Hinkle, Ph.D.
Professor
Dept.
of Entomology
Univ.
of Georgia
