What is this red-eyed creature found crawling up a pine tree?
Periodical cicada nymph. Lynch’s Woods Park, Newberry, SC.
Justin Ballew, ©2024, Clemson Extension
This is a periodical cicada nymph that has just crawled out of the soil after 13 years of feeding and developing underground and is now looking for a place to molt. Parts of South Carolina, including the Upstate and parts of the Midlands, are experiencing the emergence of Brood XIX periodical cicadas. The last time this brood emerged was in 2011. Based on observations from 2011, Brood XIX is expected to emerge from mid-April to mid-May with a few late sightings possible in early June.
Periodical cicada emergence holes. Lynch’s Woods Park, Newberry, SC.
Justin Ballew, ©2024, Clemson Extension
Periodical cicada in the process of its final molt. Lynch’s Woods Park, Newberry, SC.
Justin Ballew, ©2024, Clemson Extension
Cicadas spend the majority of their life cycle underground feeding on tree roots. The species of cicadas we see and hear each summer take 2-5 years to complete their life cycle, while periodical cicadas take either 13 or 17 years, depending on the species. While there is also a brood of 17-year cicadas (Brood XIII) emerging this year, we won’t see them in SC, as their range is much further north.
Periodical cicada adult and shed exoskeleton. Batesburg-Leesville, SC.
Justin Ballew, ©2024, Clemson Extension
Periodical cicada adult. Melvin Park, Chapin, SC.
Justin Ballew, ©2024, Clemson Extension
Shed periodical cicada exoskeletons. Lynch’s Woods Park, Newberry, SC.
Justin Ballew, ©2024, Clemson Extension
Once the nymphs emerge from the soil, they climb nearby trees to molt. They wiggle out of their exoskeleton and expand their wings before flying away to mate. Once mated, females insert their eggs into the bark of hardwood trees and die soon after. The adult stage only lasts for a month or less. Once the eggs hatch, the nymphs drop to the soil and burrow down to start their long life cycle over again. Read more about periodical cicadas here.
To keep up with where Brood XIX is being sighted in South Carolina, visit the Periodical Cicada project on iNaturalist.
