Each year, a relatively small number of Magicicada cassinii, better known as the cicada insects, emerge from the soil in the eastern United States. But once every 17 years, a huge mass of cicadas arrives in the Mid-Atlantic and Middle East, filling the air with a deafening pairing sum that can reach up to 100 decibels.
The phenomenon is called Bread X, or the Great Eastern Bread. It will return in May 2021. During the five to six weeks that they are above ground, the live cicadas – and their crunchy, discarded exoskeleton – are impossible to miss. Here’s everything you need to know about this rare phenomenon …
What is Bread X?
Scientists group cicadas based on the year they emerge as adults after years of developing underground. Bread X is the name for the large generation of cicadas that will appear in the spring of 2021, just like in 2004 and 1987.
The coming Bread X (Bread 10 in Roman numerals) is the most widespread and fruitful of the known generations. Throughout history, it has appeared as far west as Missouri, as far south as Georgia, as far north as Michigan, and as far east as Long Island, New York.
Appears once in 17 years
It appears that the long cycles are part of the evolutionary strategy of the cicadas dating from 1.8 million years, to the Pleistocene period. At that time, summers in the eastern United States could be unpredictably cold. This is a problem for cicadas: if the temperature hangs below 68 degrees for too long, it becomes too cold for them to mate and survive.
An incubator may not survive a cold summer above ground, but it is no problem to survive a cold summer below ground.
In large numbers
It’s not easy being a cicada. Once a cicada emerges from the ground, there is no shortage of predators. Birds, reptiles, fish, spiders, wasps and even pets see cicadas as protein-packed snacks. Many predators will completely change their behavior during cicada years just to feed on it. To survive, cicadas must turn up in such large numbers that they cannot eat many, many predators.
How safe are plants and animals
Cicadas will not harm most plants. However, the bugs are a danger to young trees, especially fruit trees. They will not bite you unless they mistaken you as a plant, they will not damage crops like locusts do and will not spread diseases. It is also non-toxic, so your dog or cat does not eat.
Bread X
The largest of the 15 known periodic cicadas blooms in the USA
• 17 years underground
• Feed with tree root juice
• Melt through five growth cycles
Living above ground: 4 – 6 weeks
• Abrasive Exoskeleton
• Escape predators
• Size
• Laying eggs (females)
• Die
Source: Telangana Today