The US is bracing for its worst cicada outbreak in 221 years.
According to estimates by Étienne Normand, an entomologist at the University of Montreal, billions…billions of cicadas are expected.
The outbreak has spread to 16 US states. According to experts who will be in the US to witness the show, it's an event not to be missed, just like the recent solar eclipse.
“This happens because cicadas – their name, period cicadas – are on earth for 13 years and 17 years, respectively, so there are 7 types of periodic cicadas, which all appear at the same time in a few weeks,” said M. of Normandy.
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All cicadas, even those living in Quebec, spend a significant portion of their lives underground.
In Quebec, cicadas spend three to four years underground feeding on the sap of surrounding roots, the entomologist explains.
This year, the infestation will be particularly significant, as all species of cicadas will emerge at the same time.
“In large numbers like this, mass exodus is a strategy because the birds, the predators, are force-fed, no longer hungry, and all the survivors can mate,” said Mr. Normandin explains. .
For all the details, listen to the full interview with entomologist Etienne Normand in the video at the beginning of the article.
