BROOKHAVEN — A dual emergence of 17-year cycle cicadas and 13-year cycle cicadas are set to span parts of 17 states including Mississippi. Cicadas are known for their loud summer song. . 

Lincoln County residents can consider their ears lucky because the Brood XIX of periodical cicadas will appear in 17 northern Mississippi Counties around Starkville, Columbus and Tupelo but not in our neck of the woods.. Annual cicadas will likely appear in Lincoln County in June though. 

Some individual annual cicadas emerge during any given year and spend one to nine years underground as nymphs. According to Mississippi State Extension Service, annual cicadas in Mississippi are winged with greenish bodies and prominent, bulging eyes. Mississippi has 20 species of annual cicadas, mostly in the Tibicen genus, and the songs vary considerably.

Lincoln County will see periodical cicadas in the summer of 2028 as part of Brood XXIII. These periodical cicadas belong to the Magicicada genus and have black bodies and orange eyes, legs and wings.

Adult annual cicadas are harmless and cause little damage to trees. The nymphes can cause minor damage to trees by sucking sap out of the tree roots. 

According to Turkeys for Tomorrow, massive cicada emergences are reported by states to correspond with higher hen to poult ratios that year.  Mesopredators such as raccoons, skunks, foxes and coyotes are known to eat cicadas and may target the bugs over hens, eggs and poults.