Cicadas spotted in Illinois: See US map, latest emergence info for Brood XIX and XIII
2024 is a big year for Illinois. This year, the Prairie State is one of two states home to both broods of periodical cicadas emerging in a rare, double-brood event.
Trillions of 13- and 17-year cicadas part of Brood XIX and Brood XIII are have been waiting for the right conditions to emerge in Illinois and over a dozen other states this year. Once they're above ground, the cicadas will feed, mate and die, while the next generation will then head underground to start the cycle all over again. And although they are big and loud, cicadas pose no danger to humans or pets.
Ready or not, both Brood XIX and Brood XIII cicadas have already been spotted above ground in Illinois, with many more expected to be coming soon.
Here's what you should know about where to to find them.
2024 cicada map: See where Brood XIX, XIII cicadas are emerging around the US
What should we know about cicadas? We asked an expert.
When are cicadas emerging in Illinois?
According to Cicada Mania, the insects begin to emerge when the soil 8 inches underground reaches 64 degrees, and are often triggered by a warm rain. This year, Illinois will see both cicadas in the double brood: Broods XIX and XIII.
Both broods have been spotted above ground in Illinois, according to Cicada Safari, a crowdsourced cicada-tracking app by Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Where have cicadas been reported in Illinois?
Cicadas have already been spotted a few places in Illinois, according to Cicada Safari. Brood XIII has started to emerge near Peoria, Illinois in the central part of the state, according to the app.
The other brood in Illinois, Brood XIX, has been spotted in large numbers in southern Illinois near Springfield, Champaign and around the St. Louis area along the Illinois/Missouri border.
The Cicada Safari app allows users to submit pictures and video of cicadas in their area, which builds an interactive map tracking the species as they emerge this year.
Which cicada broods are in Illinois?
Illinois is getting a visit from both of the broods emerging this year: Brood XIX and Brood XIII.
Brood XIX brood last emerged in 2011, and after 2024, is set to emerge again in 2037. Brood XIII last emerged in 2007, and after this year, will come out again in 2041.
Besides Illinois, Brood XIX will also be found this year in the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Brood XIII will also be found in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin.
2024 cicada map: Check out where Broods XIII, XIX will emerge
The two cicada broods will emerge in a combined 17 states across the Southeast and Midwest, with Illinois and Iowa expected to host both.
What's so special about the two broods coming out at the same time?
While both annual and periodical cicadas come out in various areas every year, it is rare for two different broods to emerge at the same time.
Broods XIX and XIII last emerged together 221 years ago in 1803, when Thomas Jefferson was president and there were only 17 states in the Union. After this year, they are not expected to emerge again at the same time until 2245.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cicadas in Illinois: Broods XIX, XIII spotted; see US map, sightings