Periodic cicadas coming to West Virginia
H
ave you heard of Brood V?
Brood V is a group of periodic
cicadas that will be appearing throughout
much of West Virginia this year. These
cicadas will be emerging in mass from
the soil where they have spent the last
17 years sucking the nutrients from the
roots of trees. From May through June
the adult male cicadas will announce their
presence with a loud chorus of sound that
they use to attract a potential mate. Once
the females have successfully mated they
will cut small slits in the twigs of trees to
lay their eggs. When the eggs hatch the
immature cicadas
(called nymphs) will
burrow into the soil
where they will remain
for another 17 years to
start the process anew.
the surface, climb onto a tree trunk or
some other surface, then undergo a final
molt to become winged adults, leaving
their shed exoskeleton behind. The adults
will typically live for two to six weeks to
mate and produce the next generation.
Damage
Cicadas are not normally considered
important pests. They pose no health
threat and will not bite or sting people or
pets. Although cicadas are plant feeders,
the only noticeable danage they cause to
plants results from egg-laying by females.
The incisions that egglaying cicadas make in
the twigs of trees may
cause those twigs to
hang down or break
off. This type of injury
can be quite noticeable
Periodic cicadas
and extensive during
years when periodic
Periodic cicadas are
cicadas emerge in mass
found only in eastern
Brood V periodic cicadas will
within a given area.
North America and
be appearing throughout West
Feeding and egg-laying
can have either 13Virginia.
rarely causes much
or 17-year life cycles.
harm to well-established trees. However,
Periodic cicadas that are in the same stage
it may interfere with the growth or even
of development, and that emerge together
kill very young or newly planted trees.
in a given region during the same year, are
known collectively as a single brood. There
Control
are 12 broods of 17-year cicadas and three
broods of 13-year cicadas. Each brood is
Control of cicadas is not necessary
designated by a unique Roman numeral.
most years. However, during years when
Periodic cicada broods are so synchronized
periodic cicada emergence is predicted
developmentally that they are nearly
in an area, those homeowners may want
absent as adults in the years between
to consider postponing the planting of
mass emergences.
new trees and covering existing young
trees with a fine mesh netting during the
Life cycles
egg-laying period. In addition, pruning
All cicadas go through a simple
out and destroying damaged twigs within
metamorphosis that includes an egg,
a few weeks after eggs are laid can help
nymph and adult life stage. They have
prevent new nymphs from entering
piercing and sucking mouthparts, which
the soil. Insecticide treatments are
they use to feed on plant fluids. The
not recommended for cicada control
wingless nymphs will feed underground
except in commercial tree plantings.
on the roots of trees for much of the life
By Daniel Frank, W VU Extension
span of the insect. When the nymphs reach
Specialist – Entomology
maturity they will dig their way back to
Spring 2016
WVU Update
The West Virginia University
Extension Service and the WVU
Davis Col