Brood X cicadas have begun emerging in Michigan. But the big show is yet to come.

It took awhile — 17 years — but a unique population of bizarre-looking, flying insects known as Brood X cicadas have finally begun their emergence to the surface in Michigan.

The big show is still to come later in June, when by the millions the cicadas with fire-engine-red eyes take to the trees, the males in a droning, buzzing chorus, trying to attract a mate. But some earlier arrivers have been reported at multiple wooded sites over recent days, particularly around Ann Arbor.

More: Brood X cicadas are emerging in Michigan: 10 things to know

In a phenomenon scientists still don't fully understand, the Brood X cicadas — in southern Michigan, the District of Columbia and 14 other eastern U.S. states — spend 17 years in larval form underground, feeding on the sap of tree roots; then almost in unison emerge in their 17th spring. 

Scientific research has shown the soil reaching a temperature of 64 degrees down to 8 inches deep seems to trigger the cicadas to emerge from the ground en masse. They climb into trees, molt into their adult, winged forms, and then it's loud buzzing, mating, laying eggs and dying for about a month.

Are cicadas in Michigan?

Washtenaw County parks officials report the Brood X cicadas, not yet in large numbers, have been reported above-ground at:

• Whitmore Lake Preserve, a 235-acre natural area at the corner of Seven Mile Road and Nollar Road in Northfield Township
• Kosch-Headwaters Preserve, a 160-acre natural area on Prospect Road just south of Ford Road in Superior Township
• Scio Woods Preserve, a 91-acre natural site on Scio Church Road in Scio Township

Kathy Hammond, an office specialist with the Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy, said cicadas were spotted at the Jack R. Smiley Nature Preserve at 8080 Cherry Hill Road in Superior Township.

Superior Township Parks and Recreation Administrator Juan Bradford said he didn't see any cicadas while at the Cherry Hill Nature Preserve on Cherry Hill Road Wednesday, but visitors to the area in recent days reported seeing some.

"I was able to see many areas of mounding and a few open mounds where they had recently emerged," he said.

Are cicadas dangerous?

The cicadas don't bite or sting, and they don't eat plants and vegetables like locusts. They don't eat at all during their above-ground phase. But female cicadas lay their eggs in twigs and small branches after cutting grooves in them with a sharp organ called an ovipositor on its abdomen. That can disrupt nutrient flows in branches and cause them to wither, and experts recommend netting over small trees in cicada-intense areas. (Skip insecticides; they won't work.)

Can you eat cicadas?

And for the more adventurous, the cicadas are edible, and a great source of protein — it's said that after they emerge but before their exoskeletons harden, they have a shrimp-like consistency and taste. Later, they're crunchier and nuttier. Experts suggest removing the wings if they've matured, and it's the chef's choice whether to leave the outer shell, or carapace, depending on whether they want an extra-crunchy addition to their dish.

When will the cicadas disappear?

The Brood X cicadas emerge over three to four weeks. Then they'll be around  another four to five weeks. By mid-July or so, they’ll be gone. Those eggs deposited in twigs and branches hatch as larvae four to six weeks after being deposited. The larvae fall to the ground, dig in, and it’s see you again in 2038.

Contact Keith Matheny: 313-222-5021 or kmatheny@freepress.com.