Are cicadas locusts? What's the difference and will they be in Florida?
And in a few places, they've already been spotted.
No, we're not talking about zombies. The anticipated emergence of Brood XIX and XIII cicadas across 17 states is starting. Get ready for more ... lots, lots more. Think trillions.
It's the first time in 221 years the two different broods have emerged at the same time. It won't happen again until 2245, according to ScienceAlert.com.
While Florida does have cicadas, the Sunshine State doesn't have the types — known as broods — that emerge in huge numbers at the same time.
The sheer volume of the number of cicadas expected to appear has many people comparing them to locusts and wondering what the differences are. Here are answers to those questions.
Cicadas 2024 map: Where are they expected to appear?
The two cicada broods will emerge in a combined 17 states across the Southeast and Midwest. Some places in Illinois and Iowa will see both types.
When will the cicadas emerge?
Brood XIX is set to emerge in the spring of 2024 across the Southeast and Midwest. Brood XIII will emerge in five Midwestern states around the same time, according to Cicada Mania.
They begin to emerge when the soil 8 inches underground reaches 64 degrees, and the emergence is often triggered by a warm rain.
How many will emerge? "Expect up to 1.5 million cicadas per acre,' said Perdue University.
Cicadas have already been spotted in Arkansas, Tennessee and South Carolina.
Cicada Safari users have seen Brood XIX in states including Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky and Missouri.
How long will the cicadas be around?
Cicadas emerge from underground with one thing in mind. Finding a mate and laying eggs.
That generally takes about a month and a half, according to Perdue University.
Are cicadas locusts?
While people in some areas do call cicadas locusts, cicadas are not locusts.
Cicadas are true bugs, in the order Hemiptera, said the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Cicadas suck fluids from trees, according to CicadaMania.
Locusts are the swarming phase of a short-horned grasshopper in the order Orthoptera. They eat crops, sometimes with devastating effects.
A key point: There are no locusts in the U.S. The only type that used to exist was the Rocky Mountain locust, which became extinct in 1902. There is a locust species in Mexico, according to Live Science.
Here's a side-by-side comparison between locusts and cicadas provided by CicadaMania:
Locusts
Order: Orthoptera
Hind Legs: Giant hind legs for jumping.
What they eat: Everything green they can find.
Evidence they're in the area: All plants have been stripped bare.
Cicadas
Order: Hemiptera
Hind Legs: Hind legs are about the same size as other legs, which are great for climbing and perching.
What they eat: Xylem sap (from trees).
Evidence they're in the area: "Cool UFO soundtrack sounds during the day."
If cicadas and locusts aren't the same why do some people call cicadas locusts?
When this double brood of cicadas last appeared in 1803, the United States was young. Thomas Jefferson was president and there were only 17 states.
The theory is that the huge numbers of cicadas reminded early colonists — as far back as the 1600s — of the biblical plague of locusts in Exodus, so they called them locusts. Some have continued that practice to this day.
Does Florida have cicadas?
Yes, there are 19 types of cicadas in Florida, which are grouped by size, according to the University of Florida.
Unlike the types expected to emerge in huge numbers elsewhere this year, Florida's cicadas do not come out in massive periodic cycles. Instead, adult cicadas in Florida emerge every year.
Are cicadas dangerous? Do they bite or sting?
Cicadas are not harmful. They don't attack people or pets. They don't bite and they don't sting. Neither do they destroy plants or crops, according to National Geographic Kids.
What they are is loud ... and numerous, but we've covered that already.
The sound made by millions of male cicadas can hit 100 decibels, which is almost like standing 3 feet from a chainsaw.
Need more comparisons?
Pain begins:
Jet engine at 100 feet: 140 decibels
Power mower: 107 decibels
Subway train at 200 feet: 95 decibels
Sustained exposure could result in hearing loss:
City traffic: 85 decibels
Telephone dial tone: 80 decibels
Vacuum cleaner: 75 decibels
Whisper: 25 decibels
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Cicadas map: Differences between locusts. Will they be in Florida?
