There’s been a lot of talk about two separate broods of cicadas hitting Illinois this spring and summer—hitting together for the first time in better than 200 years. But, according to multiple national maps, that may not include Fayette County at all.
The two broods—-Brood XIX which will hit in this area and to the south is a 13 year brood. And, then Brood XIII is a 17 year brood that will hit northern and central Illinois. There are a few counties in Illinois—especially in the Champaign area—that are getting hit with both broods of cicadas at the same time. But, multiple national maps show Fayette County with no cicadas at all. All counties around the area have them, just not in Fayette County according to the national maps.
The big issue with the cicadas is their loud sound. That sound is from the male cicadas as they send out their mating call, which can be as loud as a lawnmower and is unique to its species. The synchronized male singing can be louder than a jet engine. The cicadas have only four to six weeks from the time they emerge from the soil to ensure the next generation of offspring. And, once they mate, the males soon die. After the female lays her eggs in the tree’s branches, her work is done and she also dies. Her nymphs fall to the ground, burrow into the soil and begin the process all over again.
((((The map is from the website www.vox.com))))
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