Recent Examples on the WebThis spring’s periodical cicada emergence is noteworthy because two different broods will emerge simultaneously in neighboring regions — 17-year cicadas concentrated in northern Illinois, and 13-year cicadas throughout much of the Midwest and Southeast.—Cnn.com, The Mercury News, 13 May 2024 Many animals are pleased with the abundance of periodical cicadas—as a meal.—Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 7 May 2024 Trillions of periodical cicadas are already emerging in a rare, two brood event across multiple states, with more expected to come in the following weeks.—Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 7 May 2024 There are also seven different species of periodical cicadas in eastern North America, four of which emerge every 13 years, and three of which emerge every 17 years.—Lily Carey, Discover Magazine, 6 May 2024 Smaller, unlikely predators might also feast on periodical cicadas.—Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2024 During their years underground, periodical cicadas spend their time feeding on plant roots.—Evan Bush, NBC News, 29 Apr. 2024 These periodical cicadas, which emerge every 13 or 17 years depending on the brood, differ from the annual cicadas that appear every year in many states.—Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 4 May 2024 The hole was, presumably, a periodical cicada’s tunnel dug ahead of this summer’s emergence of billions of others that will come out simultaneously across the United States.—Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'periodical cicada.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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