Species guide
Periodical cicada
HarmlessMagicicada septendecim
How to recognise it
A stout black-bodied cicada with striking red eyes and orange wing veins. Famous for emerging in huge, synchronized broods every 13 or 17 years.
Is it dangerous?
Completely harmless — it doesn't bite or sting. The mass chorus is loud but benign, and the swarm passes within weeks.
What to do
Nothing needed. Protect young or newly planted trees with fine netting, since egg-laying can damage thin branches.
Recorded 13,798 times in the wild worldwide.
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