The waking schedules of two separate cubs coincided for the first time since 1803, scientists report. Brood XIII and Brood In a rare natural event that occurs every 221 years, two hatchlings will tunnel from the ground to the surface simultaneously in 16 states starting in late April.

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Periodic cicadas, of which there are seven species, spend most of their lives underground as larvae and feed on sap leaking from tree roots. After a lack of daylight for 13 or 17 years, depending on the species, the insects emerge from the surface using their front legs and turn into adults. Males vibrate the membranes on the sides of the body and emit a song that attracts females. After mating is completed, females make holes in tree branches to lay their eggs.

Adult periodic cicadas live for another three to four weeks and do not survive until the eggs hatch for about three weeks. The hatched larvae drop to the ground and tunnel through the soil to repeat the cycle.

Often, both fry will surface in different parts of the country but overlap each other in a very narrow area. This phenomenon, known as double hatching, can potentially lead to two offspring mating.

Under suitable conditions and with the presence of the required number of interbreeding individuals, there is the possibility of creating a new offspring that will start a new cycle.
– said Floyd Shockley, entomologist and collections manager of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

The overlap zone is so narrow that the number of cicadas here may not be noticeably higher than in other states. More than 1.5 million cicadas can occur in an area of ​​0.4 hectares. But deforestation has destroyed much of the canopy these insects need to thrive. Cicadas are likely to congregate in forested areas and green urban areas. “There will be enough of them in urban areas that their bodies will have to be exhumed.”Shockley says it emits a haunting odor similar to the smell of rotten peanuts as they rot.

This year’s double show event will likely end in early July. Scientists recommend that cicadas should not be touched if possible, as they are beneficial to the ecosystem, do not bite or sting, and do not carry diseases. Emerging cicadas aerate the soil when they rise to the surface. When the eggs are laid, they act as a natural pruning, allowing more flowers and fruit to grow next year. In addition, large numbers of adult cicadas provide a food base for all kinds of predators, which can have a positive effect on their population. Finally, after cicadas die, their decaying bodies add tremendous amounts of nitrogen and other nutrients to the soil.