Periodic cicadas spend most of their lives underground, emerging in mass numbers after 13 or 17 years. 2024 marks a special time for periodic cicadas, as Brood XIX and Brood XIII will co-emerge across the eastern USA for the first time since 1803. Interested in learning more about periodic cicadas? Check out this great resource. 

In St. Louis, thirteen year cicada in Brood XIX have begun to emerge Mid-May 2024. We are conducting a research project to see how the distribution of these species changes across the St. Louis Region.

Reported hot spots for periodic cicadas (updated Friday May 31)

• Lafayette Square Park

• Forest Park

• Crestwood

• Town and Country

• Webster Groves

• Former Pruitt-Igoe Site

Our current record for cicada noise is 86 dB! Think the cicadas in your backyard are louder? Let us know by using the cicada sampling protocol and uploading your data here

Data Needed (updated Friday May 31)

We still need more cicada data from all over the St. Louis area, but we have few or no reports from the following regions:

• Dutchtown and South City

• Areas North of Highway 70

• Clayton, Ladue, and Olivette

• Maplewood

Use the cicada sampling protocol and upload your data here

Check out our media coverage by St. Louis Public Radio, and the St. Louis Post Dispatch. 

Help us understand more about the distribution and density of cicada species across the St. Louis region. Wherever you are, use your cell phone to track and measure cicada sounds. Don't see or hear any cicadas at your locations? We are interested in that too. 

Check out the cicada sampling protocol here

This project is led by University of Missouri - St. Louis researchers Dr. Aimee Dunlap and Dr. Sara Miller from the Department of Biology and Dr. Andrew Hurley from the Department of History. We are passionate about insects and the city of St. Louis. Learn more about Aimee's research, Sara's research and Andrew's research.