how long are cicadas above ground

Most cicadas are only above ground for a few weeks as adults, usually around one month in total.

Quick Scoop

Once cicadas crawl out of the soil as nymphs and molt into winged adults, their time is surprisingly short compared with their many years underground.

• Adult cicadas typically live about 4–6 weeks above ground.

• Some sources describe the adult phase as roughly 3–5 weeks , depending on weather and local conditions.

• During this time they focus on mating, laying eggs, and then dying; almost all of their life before that is spent underground as nymphs for years (up to 13 or 17 years in periodical species).

So if you’re hearing loud cicada calls, expect that specific burst of activity to last on the order of a month or so before it quiets down again.

“Years in the dark for a few noisy summer weeks in the sun” is a good way to remember how long cicadas are above ground.

TL;DR: Cicadas stay above ground as adults for roughly 3–6 weeks, with many sources converging on about one month of noisy life before they die and the next generation goes back underground.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.