periodical cicada
Magicicada sp.
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Periodical cicadas are insects that emerge as “broods” every 13 or 17 years, depending on the brood. Mass emergences can range over several states. They generally start emerging in May and remain above ground through most of June. The enormous number of cicadas emerging at one time swamps birds and other cicada predators with more juicy insect food than they can consume. This allows most of the cicadas in the brood to survive and produce another generation that will live in the ground for the next 13 or 17 years.
text source: Missouri Department of Conservation
