Periodical cicadas are rare. Of the roughly 3,400 cicada species on earth, only seven of these live underground as nymphs for 13 or 17 years and all are found in eastern North America, according to a news release from the University of Tennessee Arboretum Society. These true bugs are bland as nymphs burrowed underground but emerge as loud colorful adults with red eyes and golden wings. While the cicada’s emergence only happens periodically, it seems to be happening regularly in Tennessee. The fact is that there are 15 different populations called broods. In 2021, it was Brood X that thrilled us. Last year it was Brood XIX and this year it’s Brood XI and each year it’s in different locations.
Join the UT Arboretum Society via Zoom on Thursday, May 1, at 7 p.m. as Michelle Campanis, education coordinator, and naturalist/author Stephen Lyn Bales present an overview of these bodacious bugs. The First Thursday Nature Supper Club presentation is hosted by the UT Arboretum Society each month. The class is free, but you must register to receive the Zoom link and recording. Register at www.utarboretumsociety.org under Programs.
Closed captions are available. Please contact Michelle at mcampani@utk.edu for any questions or registration issues.
To contact Stephen Lyn Bales or buy one of his UT Press books, email him at hellostephenlyn@gmail.com.
The Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2024. It is one of the ten University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture AgResearch and Education Centers located throughout Tennessee. The Institute of Agriculture also provides instruction, research and public service through the UT Herbert College of Agriculture, the UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension offices, with locations in every county in the state.
The UT Arboretum Society celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2025; to learn more about the Arboretum Society, go to www.utarboretumsociety.org.
Cicada shell
Adult periodical cicadas are brightly colored: blue bodied with red eyes and golden wings.
This article originally appeared on Oakridger: “Cicada-a-Raida Encore: the Cicadas are Back” – watch Oak Ridge talk