“Late Bloomer” Cicadas May Make An Appearance This Month

An expert from Mount Saint Joseph University says that Marylanders may see some “late bloomer” cicadas this month, according to a report by Baltimore’s WMAR.

Periodical cicadas are native to the eastern United States and emerge once every 13 or 17 years – making them a rare sight to see! Maryland is home to three 17-year species. Last year, in 2021, we experienced the The Brood X cicada emergence. Brood X is the largest of all broods, with many billions emerging at the same time.

According to the report, scientists believe cicadas who are a little late could start to make an appearance in states like Indiana, Ohio and Maryland around mid-May this year (now). “These stragglers coming out of the ground now has to do with soil temperatures.” Unfortunately, for cicada fans, unless you really go looking for them, you’re likely to not even notice the emergence of these stragglers due to their predators making quick work of the much smaller emergence.

If you don’t happen to catch any this month, you’ll have an opportunity to witness the next emergence in our area in 2038.

Featured photo courtesy of Kelly Holland @keeneyedkelly