The 17-year Brood XIV cicadas, absent from Massachusetts since 2008, will return between mid-May and June, primarily affecting areas like Long Island and Cape Cod. Only the Pharaoh cicada will emerge in Massachusetts, as other species thrive elsewhere. These cicadas have a brief adult life, relying on trees for reproduction and egg-laying. Experts express concern about the survival of these cicadas at the edge of their range, especially in vulnerable areas like Cape Cod, where populations are notably small and require preservation efforts.
"When you're dealing with any species at the edge of the range, they're always on the verge of just blinking out of existence. That's the big concern that we have with this population on Cape Cod and the one on Long Island."
"On the Cape, those populations are pretty small compared to the rest of the area that Brood XIV covers, and we really just want to preserve them."
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