Trillions of cicadas are beginning to emerge across the U.S. and one Bowling Green State University expert is available to add insight, context to your reporting

Trillions of cicadas are beginning to emerge in parts of the U.S., and Dr. Daniel Pavuk with Bowling Green State University knows all about the bugs and can add helpful information and context about them to your reporting.

Labeled as “Brood X,” the periodical cicadas are set to appear now through the end of June after 17 years underground, according to Dr. Pavuk. The bugs are expected to stick around for five to six weeks once they emerge.

Fast facts about cicadas

Below are some facts about the coming cicadas, provided by Dr. Pavuk

• Female periodical cicadas lay eggs in tree branches by making a slit and inserting an egg
• Most plants are not severely damaged by cicada activity, but young trees sometimes suffer branch damage
• Cicadas serve as food for birds and other animals that feed on insects; dogs and cats can sometimes become ill from eating them
• For humans, cicadas are generally harmless, but their emergence in large numbers can be a nuisance for outdoor gatherings as they are extremely loud

Biography :
Dr. Daniel Pavuk’s is a teaching professor of Biological Sciences at Bowling Green State University. His research interests are in insect biodiversity, parasitoid and predatory arthropod communities, conservation biological control, and ecology of insect vectors of pathogens. The ecology of insect parasitoids and predatory arthropods, and how these organisms structure phytophagous insect communities, are particularly interesting to Dr. Pavuk. His research emphasis has been primarily in agricultural ecosystems, including studies of population and community ecology of insects within those systems. Dr. Pavuk holds a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University.