Cicadas Strike A Pose With Their Red Eyes, Orange Wings [PHOTOS]

VIRGINIA/DC — Millions of cicadas started emerging across Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. in mid-May. In a few weeks, the vast majority of the insects will have died off.

Over the past month, D.C. area residents have grown intrigued by the creatures as their buzzing sound has become louder with each day.

While most cicadas have 13-year life cycles, Brood X is one of several periodical cicadas that emerge from the ground every 17 years. This year's brood started hatching in early to mid-May, when the soil temperature began to reach about 65 degrees.

As mid-June approaches, some experts are saying the cicadas are now peaking in the D.C. area. But the cicadas continue to buzz by people’s faces and land on their necks.

Patch readers have been taking photos since the cicadas started appearing last month. The insects have shown no shyness to the camera, except perhaps when people try to place several of them on their arms and head to take a selfie. Many of them will fly away before they can get a good photo.

With their big red eyes, large orange wings and a dark blue body, the cicadas are extremely photogenic. The cicadas measure about 2 inches long, so they are not super-small, which makes it easier to get a photo.

Here are the best photos we’ve received from our readers across Northern Virginia and D.C. They will serve as a memento to a time when we were celebrating the decline of the COVID-19 pandemic and a return to normal activities — like enjoying the wonders of the natural world.

Scroll to the end of the article to find out how to submit a photo. Enjoy!

Photo of cicada taken on Melon Street, SE in Washington, D.C. on June 10. (Courtesy of Joan Devore)

Photo of cicadas mating on Russell Rd. in Alexandria. (Courtesy of Lili Romero-DeSimone)

An adult periodical cicada on an impatiens flower. Photo was taken on May 27 in Reston. (Courtesy of Myra Niemeier)

Photo taken in Centreville on June 3. (Courtesy of Teresa Selove)

Photo taken in Fairfax on May 31 at the Random Hills Community pond off Random Hills Drive. (Courtesy Faith Angove)

Photo taken in Alexandria. (Courtesy of Paul Polinger)

Photo taken by Amy Komaily on May 15 at her house in Fairfax. (Courtesy of Amy Komaily)

David Golden of the Ridgelea neighborhood in Fairfax receives a cicada kiss on June 6. (Courtesy of Wendy Golden)

Students at the Fairlington Preschool in Alexandria made this natural collage using cicada exo-skeltons. (Courtesy of Sara Platt)

Photo taken in Helen Mertz's mint garden in Vienna on June 2. (Courtesy of Helen Mertz)

Photos of cicadas at Northside Park in Vienna. (Courtesy of Katy Breuer)

Photo taken on Furnace Mountain Road in Lovettsville on May 30. (Courtesy of Ruth Infante of McLean)

"Just the two of us." A photo taken by Diane Willen in her backyard in Fairfax near Laurel Ridge Elementary on May 30. Diane says she will miss the cicadas when they depart. (Courtesy of Dianne Willen)

Cicadas dining after 17 years underground. (Courtesy of Missy Dixon)

Photo taken of cicada hanging on a car window at the intersection of Columbia Pike and Glebe Road in Arlington on June 10. (Courtesy of Mel Tieg)

Photo taken of cicadas while out walking at Great Falls Park. (Courtesy of Natalie Torres-Jenne)

Cicadas on a tree in front of a house in Reston. Photo taken June 10. (Courtesy of Anne McCloskey)

Cicadas on a tree in Sterling. Photo taken on June 9. (Courtesy of Sabina Bower)

Cicadas converge on tree in front yard in Herndon. Photo taken on June 5. (Courtesy of Michie Gluck)

Cicada shells, together with cicadas that have passed away, on Gala Circle in Ashburn Village. (Courtesy of Michaela Oliver)

Cicada and its former skeleton. (Courtesy of Lili Romero)

Cicadas in and around George Mason Park in Annandale. (Courtesy of Mary and Jay Bui)

Cicada relaxing outside a window in Falls Church. (Emily Leayman/Patch)

We're looking for your best images of the cicadas. Email your cicada photos to virginia@patch.com.

Be sure to include your name, the city, location of the photo and date.

Note: Only submit photos that you have taken yourself or own the copyright to. By submitting your photo to this callout, you are granting Patch the right to re-publish it on any and all Patch sites.

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• You Can Eat 17-Year Cicadas Emerging In Virginia
• Billions of 17-Year Cicadas Will Emerge In Virginia in 2021
• Cicadas Swarm And Copperheads Snack: It's A Thing In Virginia, DC