Cicadas are abundant in Texas, contributing a distinctive sound to the state’s warmer months. Their annual emergence is a noticeable natural event, particularly through their characteristic calls.
Understanding Texas Cicadas
Texas is home to numerous cicada species, broadly categorized into “annual” and “periodical” cicadas. Annual cicadas, often called “dog-day cicadas,” are the most commonly encountered type in Texas, with some individuals maturing and appearing every summer. These species have life cycles that typically range from two to five years, but because their development is unsynchronized, some emerge each year. For example, the giant cicada, Quesada gigas, is a prominent annual species found in South Texas, known for its size and loud call. Another common annual species is the superb dog-day cicada, Neotibicen superbus.
Periodical cicadas, in contrast, emerge in large, synchronized numbers every 13 or 17 years, depending on the specific brood. While these large, synchronized emergences are more characteristic of eastern North America, Texas does have some presence of periodical cicadas. For instance, Brood IV, a 17-year periodical cicada brood, emerges in a small portion of North Texas. However, annual cicadas are the predominant type heard and seen across most of the state.
When and Where to Encounter Them
Cicadas are a familiar presence in Texas during the warmer parts of the year, from late spring through summer and into early fall. Annual cicadas are typically heard and seen from July through August, with emergence influenced by soil warmth. They are often observed on tree trunks, fences, and buildings after emerging from their underground nymphal stage. While annual cicadas are distributed throughout the state, periodical cicada emergences are geographically specific and occur much less frequently. For example, the 2024 co-emergence of Brood XIII and Brood XIX periodical cicadas, while significant elsewhere, will not heavily impact most of Texas due to their distinct geographical ranges.
The Sounds of Summer
The most distinctive characteristic of cicadas is the loud sounds produced primarily by the males. These sounds are not made by rubbing body parts together like crickets, but through specialized organs called tymbals. Each male cicada possesses a pair of these ribbed membranes located on the sides of its abdomen. Muscles rapidly contract and relax, causing the tymbals to buckle inward and then snap back, producing a series of rapid clicks.
The clicks are produced so quickly that they merge into a continuous buzzing, whirring, or high-pitched whine to the human ear. The cicada’s hollow abdominal cavity acts as a resonating chamber, significantly amplifying these sounds. The primary purpose of these loud calls is to attract mates, with each species having a distinct song to attract females of its own kind. Cicadas also use sounds for communication, including alarm signals or establishing territory. Their songs are a natural and often dominant part of the Texas summer soundscape.