Rare double brood cicadas to emerge in Oklahoma this summer

A rare emergence of two different brood cicadas will take place together as early as late April in eastern Oklahoma and the eastern half of the U.S.

STILLWATER, Okla. (KFOR) — A rare emergence of two different brood cicadas will take place together as early as late April in eastern Oklahoma and the eastern half of the U.S.

Billions of these insects are expected to come up from below the soil and above ground at the same time in a once in a lifetime occurrence. The last time this happened? In 1803.

These large and noisy insects will come together and begin to emerge from the soil to mate and lay eggs which will continue the process for the next generation of each brood species to do the same.

The Brood XIX and Brood XIII cicadas do this periodically every 13 and 17 years but it is a rare occurrence when they join territories together and wont happen again for another 221 years.

The 13-year Brood XIX cicadas are expected to start coming out in the far eastern parts of Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, southern Illinois and several southern states while the 17-year Brood XIII will emerge this spring and summer in northern Illinois and parts of eastern Iowa.

Once they make their appearances and begin to mate, it will not be a quiet period for anyone. These loud insects will sing their mating song which to a human-being can reach over 90 decibels and in comparison is as loud as a motorcycle.

The rare event will take place for several weeks before their mating is over and end their adult lifecycle. It will be another 13 and 17 years until they appear periodically again.