Are There Cicadas in North Dakota?
Cicadas are extremely rare or effectively absent in North Dakota. The state's northern climate and cold winters create conditions unsuitable for most cicada species. While a stray individual occasionally reaches southern North Dakota during peak summer, established populations do not persist year-round.
By Tim, founder of Easy Street Markets. I maintain the wildlife database and verify every animal and source myself. Updated July 22, 2026.
Cassin's 17-year Cicada · Nick Tobler (Cowturtle) CC BY
Dark Lyric Cicada · Cecil Smith CC BY
Prairie Cicada · Peter Chen 2.0 CC BY
- 7
- species recorded
- 37
- GBIF records
- August, July, June
- peak months
Yes, cicadas are in North Dakota. Next you'll want:
Real sighting data, source iNaturalist
52 verified observations on iNaturalist of cicada have been recorded in North Dakota, most often in August, July, June.
When cicada are recorded in North Dakota
Cicadas are extremely rare or effectively absent in North Dakota. The state's northern climate and cold winters create conditions unsuitable for most cicada species. While a stray individual occasionally reaches southern North Dakota during peak summer, established populations do not persist year-round.
Cicada Range and Distribution Limits
Cicadas are limited by temperature and geography across North America. The northern edge of their range typically stops around the 44th or 45th parallel, and North Dakota sits mostly between the 46th and 49th parallels. This makes the state too far north for cicadas to establish permanent populations. The southern portions of North Dakota, particularly in the Missouri River valley and the badlands region, occasionally host wandering individuals during extreme heat waves in July, but these are temporary visitors. Their lifecycle cannot complete in North Dakota because the soil never stays warm enough long enough for underground nymphs to develop. Unlike more temperate regions of the eastern United States with their hardwood forests and predictable seasonal warmth, North Dakota's short growing season and harsh winters present insurmountable obstacles. While the/wildlife/north-dakotahub covers many native insects and animals, cicadas are not among North Dakota's regular residents. For viewing cicadas, visit/wildlifeto learn about viewing them in states where they are common.
Seasonality and Temperature Dependency
Cicada development depends entirely on sustained ground temperature. The soil must reach about 64 degrees Fahrenheit and maintain that warmth for an extended period for nymphs to complete their development. In North Dakota, soil reaches this temperature very briefly, often for only a few weeks in July and early August. Cicadas living underground in North Dakota would never receive enough continuous warmth to mature properly. The state's growing season is too short. Frost returns in September, and by October the ground begins its freeze. Underground insects face lethal cold from November through March. Cicada nymphs cannot survive North Dakota's winters. Even if somehow introduced to southern North Dakota, they would not successfully reproduce. The periodical varieties that emerge every 13 or 17 years never show up in North Dakota because no population exists to emerge. The annual species that appear in neighboring states cannot push far enough north to establish in North Dakota. Temperature, not habitat, is the limiting factor. This is why North Dakota residents must travel south to see and hear cicadas in their natural environment. For more on cicada in North Dakota, see ourNorth Dakota cicada guide.
How to Identify Cicadas If You Encounter One
Should you find the extremely rare stray cicada in North Dakota, knowing identification helps confirm what you have found. Cicadas are large insects, typically 1 to 2 inches long, with stout hard-shelled bodies. They appear darker brown or black with reddish or orange touches on the eyes and wing margins. The wings are transparent or slightly smoky and are held tent-like over the back when at rest. The body is segmented with visible bands on the abdomen. Only males produce the loud buzzing sound using a special acoustic organ on the abdomen. Females lack this sound-producing ability. If you hear a loud droning or buzzing noise from a tree in midsummer North Dakota, you have almost certainly heard something else, such as a large bee or wasp. The loud buzzing call of cicadas is distinctive and unmistakable once you know it. Most North Dakota residents have never heard a real cicada call because the insects simply do not occur in the state. Visiting southern states in July is the best way to experience this remarkable sound firsthand. You can also browseNorth Dakota wildlife.
Habitats Where Cicadas Cannot Survive in North Dakota
North Dakota landscapes are predominantly prairie grasslands, with limited forests restricted to river valleys. The sparse trees of North Dakota, primarily cottonwoods and willows along the Missouri River and other waterways, cannot support cicada populations. Cicadas require large numbers of hardwood trees such as oaks, hickories, and maples to complete their life cycle successfully. The wooded areas of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa support many cicadas, but North Dakota's tree coverage is too limited and too far north. Even the forests of the badlands and the Missouri breaks region lack the continuous warm-season climate cicadas need. The soil in much of North Dakota is poor for cicada nymphs because it freezes too deep and stays frozen too long. Coastal and southeastern states have deciduous forests with deep warm-season soil that cicadas evolved to exploit. North Dakota prairie soil supports native grasshoppers and beetles that are suited to cold winters, but not cicadas. The/wildlife/north-dakotafeatures insects and animals that are actually native to the state. To learn about cicadas, the/wildlifehub connects to regions where they thrive.
Cicada Behavior and Life Requirements
Cicadas have a complex life cycle dependent on stable warm conditions. Most species spend 2 to 5 years underground as nymphs, slowly feeding on sap from plant roots. When soil temperatures rise and remain warm for weeks, the nymphs tunnel upward through soil and climb trees to molt. The molting process involves shedding a hard outer skeleton to reveal wings and a hardened adult body. This molting requires moisture and warm air, which North Dakota cannot reliably provide in sufficient duration. After molting, adults live only 4 to 6 weeks above ground. They must find mates and reproduce within this short window, all dependent on warm weather persisting. The calling males produce sound to attract females, and mating must occur within the warm season. If frost arrives early, or if soil never warmed enough for nymphs to mature, the entire cycle fails. This is why cicadas never colonize North Dakota even though individual insects might occasionally arrive during unusually hot years. The state's climate is fundamentally incompatible with their biology.
Why Cicadas Cannot Establish in North Dakota
North Dakota's continental climate presents multiple barriers to cicada colonization. First and most critical, winter temperatures underground reach well below freezing, lethal to cicada nymphs. Second, the growing season ends too early. Cicadas require sustained warmth from May through September to complete emergence and reproduction. In North Dakota, killer frosts often arrive by late August or early September, interrupting their reproductive cycle. Third, the landscape lacks the extensive hardwood forests cicadas prefer. North Dakota's trees, such as cottonwoods and pines, are not ideal for cicada feeding and shelter. Fourth, periodic drought in North Dakota stresses trees and reduces available plant sap for feeding nymphs. Finally, the soil composition and depth in many prairie regions does not allow nymphs to burrow deep enough to escape winter cold. These combined factors make North Dakota permanently unsuitable for cicadas. They may arrive as windblown visitors in exceptional years, but establishing a breeding population remains impossible. This geographic reality explains why cicada observations in North Dakota are essentially nonexistent in scientific records.
Similar Insects Mistaken for Cicadas
Although cicadas do not live in North Dakota, similar-looking insects do occur in the state. Large grasshoppers sometimes cause confusion, but grasshoppers have long back legs built for jumping and are much smaller than cicadas. Katydids are green insects that produce a chirping sound at night, quite different from the daytime buzzing of cicadas. Cicada killer wasps are large predatory wasps with yellow and black markings that hunt cicadas in states where cicadas are common. These wasps do not establish in North Dakota because there are no cicadas to hunt. Long-horned beetles resemble cicadas superficially but have shiny hard wing covers that meet in a straight line, unlike the transparent overlapping wings of cicadas. The bark beetles that tunnel under tree bark have different body shapes and no wings. Large bees and bumblebees are often confused with insects from the South, but bees are furry and have different flight behavior. North Dakota residents familiar with these state insects would not confuse them with cicadas, simply because cicadas never appear in the state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have cicadas ever been found in North Dakota? Extremely rarely, individual cicadas might be blown northward by strong summer winds or arrive during unusually hot years, but no established population has ever occurred in the state. They cannot survive the winter. Where can I see and hear real cicadas? Cicadas are common from the northern Midwest southward through the eastern and central United States. States like Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, and all southeastern states have reliable populations that you can observe in July and August. Why do cicadas live everywhere except North Dakota? Cicadas need sustained warmth from spring through early fall and soil warm enough for underground nymphs to develop. North Dakota's short growing season and frozen winters create impossible conditions for their survival. What insects make buzzing sounds in North Dakota? Large bees, bumblebees, and some beetles produce buzzing sounds, but these are different from the distinctive call of cicadas. Most buzzing sounds in North Dakota come from bees and wasps, not cicadas.
Plan your cicada sighting in North Dakota
37 verified cicada records have been logged in North Dakota, most recently in 2026. See the GBIF records.
Where to look in North Dakota
- Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site · Wildlife Watching, Birdwatching · Find hotels
- Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail · Wildlife Watching · Find hotels
- North Country National Scenic Trail · Wildlife Watching, Birdwatching · Find hotels
- Theodore Roosevelt National Park · Wildlife Watching, Birdwatching · Find hotels
- Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site · Find hotels
More places to see cicada
More wildlife in North Dakota