Periodical cicadas spend most of their lives underground and only emerge after 13 or 17 years. This year, two broods of cicadas will emerge: Brood XIX, which comes out every 13 years, will emerge in the Georgia and Southeast, and Brood XIII, which emerges every 17 years, will appear in Illinois. With this convergence, Trillions of cicadas will emerge across several U.S. states this spring in an event one expert dubbed “cicada-geddon.” The bugs will arrive in numbers that have not been seen in generations.

Once the cicadas emerge from the ground, they molt into adults, and within a week to 10 days, the fungus causes the backside of their abdomens open up. A chalky, white plug erupts out, taking over their bodies and making their genitals fall off.  “Because this is such a bizarre life cycle for an insect, the fungus has had to change its strategy. So, it basically keeps the host alive long enough to maximize dispersal,”

It is unclear how the fungus would affect other wildlife or humans, but Kasson said in his research, he’s observed thousands of compounds in infected cicadas and some could be toxic……….Yes, it is possible.” But, he said, less than 5% of cicadas are infected with the fungus and researchers have yet to observe any impact on other wildlife.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cicadas-zombies-hyper-sexual-sexually-transmitted-fungus-expected-to-emerge-this-year-massospora-cicadina/

 

Nevertheless, 5% of Trillions is still a lot of infected bugs…….