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Periodical vs. Annual Cicadas: Different Species, Different Cycles

You hear cicadas annually, but periodical cicadas (13-year) emerge only in mass broods. Your yearly cicadas are "dog-day" species (2-5 year cycles, overlapping broods).

Quick ID

Periodical: Red eyes, synchronized mass emergence
Annual/Dog-day: Black eyes, present every summer

Next periodical emergence in your area: 2011. Until then, enjoy the summer soundtrack of dog-day cicadas.

About Gardening: Cicadas vs. Crickets: Day and Night Singers in Oklahoma; Preventing Yellowing in Annual Vinca (Catharanthus) Seedlings; Annual Vinca Seedling Care: Light, Water, and Fertilizer Balance; Cicadas Don't Lay Eggs in Fruit; Complete Seed-Starting Guide: Annual Flowers from Phlox to Portulaca; Harvesting Annual Seeds: Coleus, Impatiens & the Hybrid Trap; Annual Bluegrass: Why It's Not a Lawn Solution; Cicada Damage: Brown Branch Tips in Late Summer; Pre-Emergent for Annual Bluegrass in Bermuda: Too Late Now, Plan for Next Year; Perennial Annual Bluegrass: A Tougher Weed to Control

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