Periodic Cicadas (And Why They’re Not Coming to Pittsburgh)

The national buzz around two broods of periodic cicadas this year has infected Pittsburgh, but I have bad news for those who were excited: They’re not coming here. Let’s talk about the confusion, where the periodic cicadas will actually emerge, and the adorably named cicada that will definitely visit us this year.

No, We’re Not the *Midwest

*In this context. The periodic cicadas in question are called Brood XIII and Brood XIX, the latter of which is the largest of all periodic cicadas. They’re both a dark black color with red eyes. According to the University of Connecticut, this is the first time since 1803 that these two specific broods will co-emerge. This is primarily happening around the Midwest and parts of the South.

I’m not sure why there was confusion about periodic cicadas coming to Pittsburgh, since we’re most definitely not part of the *Midwest (🎧), but now I have good news if you're a bug person: There’s one cicada that emerges in Pittsburgh every year.

A Cicada As Faithful As Fido

The annual cicada that we get every year is boringly named Tibicen canicularis, but adorably called a dog-day cicada. They’re around 2 inches long, a brown and green color, and even larger than periodic cicadas. Dog-day cicadas typically emerge in late July or early August.

And if you find them creepy, don’t worry, they’re vegetarian and will only bite plants. Which brings me to another cicada story with a headline too good not to share.

The Power of Fungi

There’s a sexually transmitted fungal pathogen turning some of these bugs into “zombie cicadas” and here is how news outlet Them summed it up:

The fungus is called Massospora cicadina and will cause infected bugs to lose their genitalia and produce a hormone that causes hypersexuality, leading males to pretend to be females to try to mate with other males. But there’s a twist: Scientists in our region are hopeful that part of that fungus could be used for pharmaceuticals in the future.

Happy cicada watching!