It’s been a full five years since the media frenzy over “Brood X,” an enormous group of cicadas that emerged from the soil in 2004 and captivated our hearts. After that beautiful summer spent listening to the charming buzzing sounds of Brood X, we were left saddened when, like a summer romance, the cicadas suddenly disappeared, leaving behind only their exoskeletons (in the same way that, in olden times, a girl would leave behind a lock of her hair). We were just thinking about that whirlwind summer this morning, and like us, you might be wondering, “Where are they now?”

After doing some investigation, we have located the cicadas of Brood X. The sad truth is this: The cicadas that we knew in 2004 have passed away. They passed shortly after emerging from the ground, which may explain why they disappeared as suddenly as they arrived. We can take comfort in knowing that, during their brief time above ground, the cicadas had time to “hook up” en masse, resulting in a new generation of cicadas. This continuation of Brood X is growing up safely underground, out of the harsh media spotlight, and they will emerge from the soil in 2021. We’ll wait for you, Brood X… you’re worth it.

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 23rd, 2009 at 12:12 pm.