17 year cicadas are bugs that live for 17 years underground, their larvae feeding on the roots of trees and such until that magical 17th year when they all come out at once for a period of about 4-6 weeks. They are a huge brood, and their only purpose is to pupate, mate, and die. The newborns fall out of the trees and find their way underground as larvae where they live for another 17 years until it's curtain time again. There are so many at once every 17th year that it gets too loud to hear, to think, etc. You'll find cicadas completely covering walls, windows, etc. They don't bite, but they are a nuisance as they fly wherever they want to, including onto your head, into your car or house, etc. And then after the first two weeks or so, it starts to stink as the carcasses of the earliest ones start to pile up and decay. And yes, folks do eat them. You'll find all kinds of cicada related stuff and recipes in the media during the season. Sound like fun? My husband took some great (read really creepy closeup) pictures of them when we had them a couple of years ago. I swear I'm getting out of Dodge next time, though sadly I actually moved to "Dodge" 17 years prior, not knowing. So I've lived through two seasons of them now. Still haven't eaten one. Won't intentionally eat one, either.

Also, there are annual cicadas who are "kin" to the 17 year suckers. They just don't come out in such masses as the special ones.

gg