Brood X Cicadas Emerge After 17 Years Underground

TAKOMA PARK, MD - MAY 21: Young trees are draped in netting to protect their small branches from being damaged by periodical cicadas laying their eggs in them on May 21, 2021 in Takoma Park, Maryland. Billions of periodical cicadas, members of the Brood X emergence, will be coming out of the ground in the eastern United States and Midwest to molt, mate, lay eggs and die after living underground for 17 years. A good source of protein, the cicadas are going to be part of the diet of other insects, animals and some humans. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)