It’s been a year since we here in the mid-Atlantic were visited by my favorite bug and my favorite biological event: the emergence of Brood X, the 17-year-cicadas. I loved them in 1987, I loved them in 2004, and I loved them in 2021.
Apparently cicadas sometimes get confused about how long 17 years is, and I’ve heard of some stragglers coming out this year, but I haven’t seen one. I hope most of them read the calendar correctly and their babies will be back (for me to love them) in 2038.
I’ve been reliving the 2021 emergence through my phone’s feature where it shows me pictures from this day last year. If you’d like to join me, here are all the cicada posts I wrote last summer.
- Cmon, cicadas – they weren’t quite here yet, and I was sad.
- The cicadas arrived – this week last year – joy!
- I love these darn bugs – oh right, that’s why they’re so great.
- The cicadas’ parting gift – oak mites, booooo.
- Dog day – don’t worry, we do get cicada visitors every year.
Photo: Helen Fields, May 2021