CHAMPAIGN, IL (CHAMBANA TODAY)– 2024 marks the occurrence of the emergence of Brood XIX and Brood XIII cicadas. The insects, known for their lengthy underground hibernation and mass emergence, will awaken in mass this summer with Central Illinois being at the center of the reemergence.
Brood XIX is one of the 13-year periodical cicada broods while Brood XIII is part of a 17-year periodical brood native to North America. The insects live the majority of their lifespan underground only coming to the surface every 13 or 17 years in the spring or early summer in order to molt and transition into adulthood. Cicadas are widely known for their mating calls, which create a loud hum that can reach up to 100 decibels.
This year a rare phenomenon occurs making both broods slated to reemerge at the same time. An event that only occurs every 212 years.
As the broods complete their brief above-ground existence, leaving behind their molted exoskeletons a residents of Central Illinois eagerly anticipate the next emergence, In the meantime, scientists will continue to study the ecological impacts of these cicadas, while communities cherish the memories of this remarkable event.