Cicadas underground for 17 years to emerge this spring

NEW YORK - A brood of cicadas, the flying insects known for their deafening buzz, are expected to emerge in New York, New Jersey and other East Coast states this spring.

The harmless pests of the 'Brood X' will reappear from the underground where they have been living for the past 17 years, according to an entomologist who spoke with USA Today.

"The end of May through June, it can get pretty loud – if you are in an area where they are numerous, there can be hundreds of thousands, or millions, of them," said Howard Russell, an entomologist at Michigan State University.

Cicadas tend to disappear for a period of time and then reappear in regular intervals. They generally live from two to five years. Every summer some cicadas emerge.

FILE - Cicada on tree branch. (AP)

Brood X, one of the largest groups of cicadas, will make an appearance in 15 states including Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, as well as Washington, D.C..