, Columnist
Cicadas, the Wedding Crashers Who Can Jitterbug
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We are about to witness the largest insect emergence on the planet, and it happens only in the eastern U.S. At the beginning of May, billions of Magicicada septendecim nymphs will start to rise out of the ground en masse, from North Carolina to New York, finding a tree (or the nearest vertical structure, possibly your house) to cling to. There, they will split their skins and emerge as adults.
The website for Cicada Mania has a map that gives a good idea of where and when the swarms will occur (earlier in the South) and answers questions. The most frequently asked question: Will cicadas ruin my wedding?