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As Brood X emerges across the eastern U.S., trillions of insects will soon take to the trees, shrilling their mating songs. This group of periodical cicadas, as they’re called, makes up three species and spends 17 years underground. In some areas, all species coexist; in others, one prevails.
Brood X cicadas can be distinguished by looking at the underside of the abdomen. The presence of orange stripes and stripe thickness identify both males and females.
Regardless of the species, every short-lived male and female has the same goal: to find a partner and reproduce. This is where sound comes in. Courting males join together in their calls, establishing chorus hot spots that can attract females as far as a mile away.