Photo: James St. John, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Much to the chagrin of insect enthusiasts and the relief of just about everyone else, don’t expect a multitude of cicadas from so-called Brood X to infest Long Island this year.
Every 17 years, billions of noisy cicadas crawl out of the ground infesting the northeast in a swarm of biblical proportions. They grow, eat, sing, mate, and die. Then their progeny (brood) burrow back underground to incubate for another 17-year-long cycle.
The 2021 crop of cicadas - called Brood X by scientists - might be a bust if the last recorded emergence is any indication. Back in 2004, this specific species of cicada that emerged on the 17-year time schedule was deemed all but extinct on Long Island. A Newsday article reported that the Brood X barely made an appearance.