Well, it’s been 17 years since the periodical cicadas have made an appearance here in the VA, MD, and PA area. But the 2021, Brood X cicada emergence has started. These little guys spend 17 years underground slowly developing.. Then, when the ground temperature reaches 64-65 degrees F, they start their journey up. Once them emerge, the nymphs molt into adult cicadas. And the adults make lots of noise, mate, lay eggs, and then they die. And you should know that the adults don’t bite, sting, or really do anything objectionable. So, if you’re in an area where they are emerging, sit back and enjoy the show ;-) The images here are from 10May2021 and are some of the early cicadas emerging for 2021. The images are a mixture of adults, cicadas shedding their “nymph skins” and cicadas out of the nymph skin waiting for their skin to harden and their wings to become functional. Once all this is done, they fly off to a nearby tree to begin their mating ritual.