Brood X Set to Invade East Coast

WASHINGTON
(Reuters) – The first cicada of the season sat on the doorstep like a
mutant bumblebee, with red eyes and yellow legs.

But, apparently alarmed by the appearance of a human, it tumbled off the shallow
step, landing helplessly on its back. Its yellow legs wiggled frantically to
no effect.

How could anything so stupid and clumsy survive, and prosper in such huge numbers?
Billions, probably trillions, of cicadas are emerging this month across the eastern
United States in a monster swarm known as Brood X or brood 10.

Scientists plan to study the mass coming out of Brood X to find out. Did their
bizarre 17-year cycle evolve because they are such easy prey, or did it allow
them to evolve into the clumsy, noisy creatures that they are?

"Brood X is likely to be the largest insect emergence on Earth," said
Keith Clay, a cicada expert at Indiana University.
]
Perhaps the Department of Homeland Security could teach them the Circadian rhythm
method…

from
Reuters