Billions of Brood X #Cicadas emerge in large swarms in Indiana after nearly 17 years underground. The periodical Brood X cicadas arrived in Indiana in May 2021. Every 17 years, billions of cicadas in parts of the central, eastern, and southern U.S. dig their way out of the underground dirt which has been their home for nearly two decades. The Brood X cicadas shed their carapaces (their shell), climb onto the treetops (literally COVERING the trees), mate and die all within a four week period (YOLO). The 2021 Brood X cicada emergence was an incredible experience to witness.

Cicadas are insects and belong to the family Cicadidae in the order Hemiptera. The U.S. is the only location on Earth that has periodic cicadas that stay underground for years (Pretty cray). While there are a variety of different broods of periodic cicadas that appear in different years, the #BroodX is one of the biggest and most widely distributed groups of periodical cicadas.