Study: Periodical cicadas may be doomed to extinction

by Richard C. Lewis, University of Iowa
September 2, 2026

Every 13 or 17 years, swarms of cicadas emerge from the ground, their black bodies, orange-tinged wings, and ruby-red eyes enveloping trees and forests. It is a biological marvel unique in the insect world, and when it happens, it is impossible not to notice.

But those mass emergences may be coming to an end.

In a new study, biologists at the University of Iowa have concluded that periodical cicadas — species that emerge every 13 or 17 years — could be heading toward extinction. The main reason: the historical loss of old-growth forests, whose roots are the insects’ sole, essential food source during their prolonged time underground. Even when those old, intact forests are replaced by new trees, the insects are unable to adapt because they move very slowly into new habitats, the biologists found.

It’s a bit of a sad tale, admits Andrew Forbes, professor in the Department of Biology at Iowa and the study’s corresponding author.

Keep reading: https://now.uiowa.edu/news/2026/09/study-periodical-cicadas-may-be-doomed-extinction

Read the Ecology paper: https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecy.70487