Why Do Cicadas Only Come Out Every 17 Years? (The periodical cicada remains an intriguing mystery)

[Goonch]

In 2021, North America braced for the arrival of the Brood X or Brood 10 swarm of cicadas. This brood, which is actually a combination of three different cicada species, led to many curious questions about these large, buzzing bugs. Do they really swarm out of the ground? Why do they only arrive every 17 years? In this article, we’ll answer these questions and all the other questions you might have about these fascinating insects................

Although there are many cicada species, all cicadas fall into one of two larger groups: annual cicadas, which appear every year, and periodical cicadas, which emerge every 13 to 17 years. Brood X is a group of 17-year cicadas.

Interesting Facts About Brood X Cicadas
Brood X’s pronunciation is “Brood 10” because every cicada brood has a Roman numeral.
Brood X is also known as the Great Eastern Brood.
Brood X is a group of 17-year cicadas and comprises three different species: Magicicada septendecim, Magicicada cassini.........
https://a-z-animals.com/blog/why-do-cicadas-only-come-out-every-17-years/

[soothsayer]

1. I feel they're going to be bummed they can no longer buy tobacco

[Goonch]

4. ;-{)

[soothsayer]

5. Earlier broods could drink legally. Then at least drink beer.

At least they can all still drive!

[PoliticAverse]

2. Because if they made that much noise more often than that humans might do something about it. n/t

[Goonch]

6. ;-{)

[dewsgirl]

12. Ha!!!! 🤣😂

[yankeepants]

3. Because they have a pre-arranged date with Matt Gaetz?

[Goonch]

7. ;-{)

[Towlie]

8. It's not a mystery, Wikipedia provides a quite credible explanation.

 
?

Wikipedia: Cicada

Perhaps what we're seeing here is what I call a "treasured mystery", reminiscent of "Tide goes in, tide goes out. YOU can't explain that!"

[Goonch]

9. ;-{)

https://www.baltimoresun.com/bal-te.ms.cicada10may10-story.html

[Towlie]

10. "The 13- and 17-year cicadas have just one brief shot at sex - then they die."

 
?

Just like James Cameron's heroes in The Terminator and Titanic.

[Goonch]

11. ;-{)

"Researchers still don’t fully understand why cicadas wait 13 or 17 years to emerge. There are several theories, however. The chief theory is that they stay underground to avoid predators. Waiting for months or years means predators won’t rely on them as a food source. When they do come out, using predator satiation means they can sacrifice millions of brood members without harming the species’ chances of survival.

Another theory involves their diet. Cicada nymphs live on tree sap, which is mostly water. It’s poor in nutrients, and they need to drink a lot of it to grow to adulthood."