Periodical Cicadas Overrun the Forest | Planet Earth | BBC Earth
After 17 years underground, creatures are stirring.
The nymphs of the periodical cicada have been biding their time.
Now they march like zombies towards the nearest tree and start to climb.
At first there are merely thousands, but soon more than a billion swarm all over the forest.
The biggest insect emergence on the planet is underway.
They invade the upper branches where they climb out of their external skeletons
and assume their adult winged form.
At first they're white and soft, but they have until dawn to complete their transformation.
After an absence of 17 years, the forest is now overrun by cicadas.
The adults are clumsy and very edible.
For turtles and other inhabitants of the forest,
this is a feast they're lucky to see once in their lifetime
and they gorge themselves while they can.
Times have never been so good.
The cicadas have no defences and virtually offer themselves to their attackers.
The stream of insects is so relentless that soon all the predators are full to the point of bursting.
And still the cicadas come.
With the predators overwhelmed, the survivors can achieve their purpose.
After mating, the adults lay their eggs and then their job is done.
In just a few days they will all die and the forest will fall silent.
The cicadas here will not be heard again for another 17 years.