Cicada emergence brings trillions of insects above ground across US

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Begun, the emergence, has. The great cicada emergence of 2024 is underway. Trillions of the insects are expected to crawl from below the surface to breed before dying off. The last time these specific broods of insects were above ground was in 1803.Cicadas come in two varieties, according to Texas A&M. One type, called annual or dog-day cicada, emerges at the end of summer every year. They typically have a 2-5 year life cycle, making them a fairly common sight in North Ameri