ALEXANDRIA, Va. — This morning I was surprised to learn that cicadas are coming out again. My son stepped on a discarded shell and sure enough we soon saw the fellow pictured fresh from molting.

CicadaMania.com suggests they could be Brood VI, a 17-year which tend to come out in the western Carolinas and northeastern Georgia. They may also be stragglers of the better known Brood X, that last appeared in 2004 and are due back in force in 2021.

There may be more next week when it gets hot again and the soil eight inches down reaches 64°.

This is the first time I have seen cicadas since moving to Alexandria in 2007. I remember the 2004 Brood X all over Northern Virginia. The ones I saw today were mostly concentrated on one particular area of my community within about 30 feet of elevation. So far, there was one in another neighborhood at slightly lower elevation, but none right by my home which is a little higher up.

Is anybody else seeing cicadas around?

UPDATE May 12, 2017: CicadaMania.com says they are Brood X stragglers. Comments say they are also in Arlington and my brother is seeing them in Burke.

UPDATE May 24, 2017: Capital Weather gang has an interview with cicadamania.com:

we know it’s the stuff of nightmares and you didn’t ask for it but here’s why the cicadas are undead so early sorry https://t.co/wd92VrDdzJ

— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) May 24, 2017