Chester County May Be One of the Hotspots for These Loud Insects That Have Spent the Last 17 Years Underground

Brood X cicadas are set to surface by the millions after 17 years underground, and Chester County might be one of the hotspots for the loud insect, writes Frank Kummer for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Male cicadas are known for creating an almost deafening buzz from dawn to dusk in an attempt to attract a mate. The Brood X cicadas are among two periodical broods that emerge in the region every 17 years. The Brood II Is not expected to emerge before 2030.

Once the brood emerges in late May or early June, it dies off within five weeks. The insect is not harmful to humans or animals or too destructive to plants.

Brood X is not too widespread, and its presence in the Philadelphia region is spotty. Specimens have so far been collected in less than a dozen locations, including Downingtown.

“They’re not everywhere,” said Jon Gelhaus, curator of entomology at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. “Unless you happen to be where a population is emerging, you’d have to go find them.”

Read more about Brood X cicadas in The Philadelphia Inquirer.