Reply A newly emerged adult cicada suns itself on a leaf May 16, 2004 in Reston, Virginia. (Richard Ellis/Getty Images ) NORTH CAROLINA — Billions of red-eyed cicadas emitting a shrill 100-decibel mating call after spending 17 years gestating underground are about to emerge and could swarm parts of North Carolina. The Brood X insects — black insects measuring more than an inch long with orange and red wings— have spent their immature years in the soil. But soon they'll scramble to the surface and emerge all at once in a scene that's almost biblical. There are 15 different types – or broods – of the cicada though, which means a type is emerging somewhere on the east coast almost every year. The last time Brood X emerged in North Carolina was 2004.