Cicadas are a constant presence in Georgia, their distinct, loud song marking the height of summer across the state. While their sound confirms their activity, the timing and location of their emergence depend on which of the two main types of cicadas is completing its life cycle.
The Two Types of Cicadas Found in Georgia
Georgia is home to two distinct categories of cicadas: Annual and Periodical. The most common type encountered are Annual cicadas, often called Dog-Day cicadas because their emergence coincides with the hottest part of the summer. These species, belonging to genera like Neotibicen, have life cycles that can range from two to five years, but their generations overlap so that some adults appear every single summer.
The much more infrequent visitors are Periodical cicadas, which belong to the genus Magicicada. These insects are known for their synchronized, massive emergences based on strict 13-year or 17-year cycles. Periodical cicadas are smaller than their annual counterparts, featuring striking black bodies and bright red eyes.
These synchronized populations of Magicicada are organized into distinct groups called “broods,” each assigned a Roman numeral. Georgia is within the geographic range of one 13-year brood, Brood XIX, and several 17-year broods, including Broods X, XIV, and VI. This unique evolutionary strategy ensures their survival by overwhelming predators with sheer numbers when they emerge.
When to Expect Cicada Emergence
Annual cicadas are seen and heard every year, with their emergence window typically spanning from July through September, coinciding with the “dog days” of summer. Their continuous presence each year means they are the most familiar sound of the summer woods and suburban trees.
Periodical cicadas emerge only once every 13 or 17 years, depending on the specific brood. When a brood year arrives, the emergence occurs much earlier in the season, typically in late spring, around May or early June. The trigger for this mass emergence is a sustained soil temperature of approximately 64 degrees Fahrenheit at a depth of about eight inches.
For example, the 13-year Brood XIX, often called “The Great Southern Brood” and the largest of the 13-year broods, last emerged in 2024 and will not appear again until 2037. Another major group, the 17-year Brood XIV, is expected to emerge in 2025 across parts of the state.
Where Cicadas Appear Across the State
Annual cicadas are widespread and can be found almost anywhere there are trees, inhabiting forests and suburban areas throughout the entire state. They are a universal symbol of the Georgia summer, their calls coming from the tree canopy in nearly every county.
Periodical cicadas have a much more restricted and patchy geographical distribution. Their broods are highly localized, meaning only specific counties will experience the large, synchronized emergences. Brood XIX, for instance, was verified in about 75 of Georgia’s 159 counties during its last emergence, mainly covering the western and central parts of the state.
The 17-year broods, like Brood XIV, tend to be concentrated in the northern half of Georgia, particularly in the northeastern counties. Nymphs often leave exit tunnels, which are small holes or mud turrets, in the soil beneath trees before climbing a nearby vertical structure to complete their final molt.
The Life Cycle and Role in Georgia’s Ecosystem
After the female lays her eggs in small slits she creates in the bark of young tree branches, the eggs hatch into tiny nymphs that drop to the ground. These nymphs immediately burrow into the soil, where they will spend the next several years feeding on the sap, known as xylem fluid, from tree roots.
When the time is right, the mature nymphs tunnel to the surface, typically at night, and climb a tree trunk or other vertical surface for their final molt, leaving their discarded, brittle exoskeletons behind. The resulting adult cicadas live only for a few weeks to mate and lay eggs, beginning the cycle anew.
Cicadas play a beneficial role in the Georgia ecosystem. Their emergence tunnels naturally aerate the soil. The egg-laying process acts as a form of natural pruning that can benefit the overall health of mature trees. Most significantly, the massive number of adults provides a temporary “food pulse,” becoming a substantial food source for local birds, mammals, and fish.