A new and larger cicada species are emerging


A new and larger cicada species are emerging - they have big black eyes and "like to scream"

Billions of Brood X cicadas temporarily appeared this summer after being underground for 17 years. They've only been around for a few weeks - but now, a new and larger species of cicada has arrived to replace them.

Officials at Catoctin Mountain Park in Maryland, a unit of the National Park Service, said the bugs are called Dog Day cicadas because they come out "during hot dog days of summer." The insect is distinguished by its bright green color, transparent wings, and large eyes, and this particular type of cicada takes two to three years to develop and emerge from underground. But unlike Brood X, the population appears every year.

"They are much older and have black eyes," Katuktin Mountain Park wrote in a Facebook post. "Like all cicadas, they are harmless and like to scream."

Everyday cicadas for dogs also have a predator to watch out for, the killer cicada hornet. According to Ohio State University, the hornet does not feed on periodic cicadas, like the X brood, and can soon be seen searching the woods for its "exclusive prey." This hornet is one of the giant wasps found in Ohio, reaching 1 5/8 inches in length. While they are large and seem alarming, Ohio University researchers say they are not dangerous and rarely sting.

This type of cicada appears in different states. Twitter users have posted information about their sightings in New Hampshire, Maryland, and Ohio. The US Fish and Wildlife Service said they could be found from Dakota and Oklahoma to Maine and South Carolina.

 According to Texas A&M University, adults can reach over an inch long and half an inch wide. Summer is when, very loudly, they begin the mating process. According to the university, male cicadas will rest on tree trunks and branches and "sing" to get the attention of female cicadas.

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