The 17-year “Brood X” cicadas will emerge in May. Photo by iStock.com/WerksMedia
by SUSAN M. BRACKNEY
After 16 years and 11 months of solitary confinement, billions of “Brood X” periodical cicadas will emerge from beneath Bloomington’s parks and neighborhoods, the Indiana University campus, and beyond. “We’re guessing between May 10 and May 15, but it’ll depend on the weather,” says Keith Clay, IU Department of Biology distinguished professor emeritus.
Clay experienced Bloomington’s 17-year cicadas in 1987 and 2004. “[During 2004,] we were counting up to 200 per square meter,” he recalls. “Extrapolate to Monroe County, and it’s in the hundreds of billions [of cicadas.]”