In a given West Virginia locality a Cicada emergence comes once every seventeen years with a deafening din. The large insects are seen flying everywhere, and so are the cast-off exoskeletons of their larvae. The larvae have been underground, nibbling on rootlets for nearly two decades, and now they emerge to see the light of day for the first time. These Magicicadas are among West Virginias largest, loudest, and longest-lived insects.
Different "broods" emerge in different years, and the map above indicates approximately where in the state each brood lives. Periodical Cicadas may be missing from the states highest mountains. Here are the emergence dates for each West Virginia brood:
So unfortunately, most West Virginians have a long time to wait. The next emergence wont come until 2012, and that one will be seen mostly in Pendleton County.
