Oklahoma State University entomology and plant pathology professor Wyatt Hoback is available as a resource for media outlets looking to provide context to readers/viewers on the cicada “Brood X” emergence. Dr. Hoback has published two academic papers on periodic cicada emergence. While billions of cicadas will emerge in the coming weeks, he said there’s good news for Oklahoma.
“The reports of ‘cicada-geddon’ on the news are because of the widespread emergence of billions of 17-year cicadas in the eastern united States,” Hoback said. “It is the largest emergence of these insects since 2004. The good news here in Oklahoma is that we will not have this particular species until 2032, so instead we will enjoy a quiet summer until the loud buzz in August of dog day cicadas.”