Sound of “cigarralipse” in the USA scares residents, who call the police | Biodiversity

The sounds of nature are generally linked to relaxation and well-being, but in the case of the “cigarralipse” in the United States (USA), it became a police case. The simultaneous appearance of two large broods, which sprout from the ground after years of underground life, now causes an apparently deafening noise.

According to experts, the trillions of cicadas can make a noise compared to airplane engines. In the region of Neuberry, in the state of South Carolina, the local police had to issue a statement to educate the local population about the phenomenon.

“We have received several calls about a noise that sounds like a siren, a moan or a roar. The sound is that of cicadas. Cicadas are a superfamily of insects that appear every spring. The nymphs have lived underground for 13 to 17 years and now this time they are hatching. Although the noise is annoying to some, they pose no danger to humans or pets. Unfortunately, these are the sounds of nature,” the police station said on its Facebook page this Tuesday (23).

Speaking to the AP agency, the county sheriff, Lee Foster, stated that agents were being called by people who did not know the origin of the huge noise.

Two large broods are emerging simultaneously in the US, one concentrated in the Midwestern states and the other in the American South and Midwest. The rare event is due to a coincidence of cycles between two large swarms, which are “budding” together. One of them comes from a 17-year cycle, while the other, from 13, says a report from the Reuters agency.

It is possible that these insects spread across up to 17 states in the country with their characteristic sound.

This is the first time since 1803 that an event of this magnitude has occurred in the insect kingdom, and why not, humans. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), an American body similar to Anvisa in Brazil, even warned that people allergic to seafood should avoid eating cicadas.

“They live as adults for only a few weeks and die after reproduction. In total, the adult portion of their extremely long lives is less than 0.5% of their total lifespan; 99.5% of their life is spent underground.” , says entomologist John Lill, from George Washington University.