Prolific broods of periodical cicada are emerging from the ground, from the US Eastern seaboard, westwards through Indiana and south to Tennessee. Jon Downes was staying with the lllinois representative of the CFZ when the cicada plague began to hit.

Cicada, often mistaken for locusts, emerge in specific locations across North America once every 13 or 17 years. They are slow-flying, and are easy prey for birds, red foxes and raccoons, who gorge themselves on what is - for them - a once-in-a-lifetime event. The insects do not bite or sting defensively, nor do they attack people, nor are they known to transmit disease.

Today we bring you exclusive pictures of the bizarre looking creatures as they crawl out of the earth that has been their home for so many years, and - under cover of darkness - hatch into the noisy (but oddly beautiful) adults.

Kiernen Dardeen - aged 5 - will be a grown woman next time the cicada plague happens in Illinois

Together with his hostess's five year old daughter, Jon spent much of last evening taking a series of very detailed photographs of the hatching process.

The nut-brown nymphs crawl up the side of trees or houses and then hang on tight. Their skin splits down the back and the pale green adults - their wings no more than sogy bags of flesh - crawl out with one last burst of strength. Exhausted they cling to whatever surface they have decided to hatch out on until their delicate, lacey wings dry out and they can fly away.

These photographs are exclusive to the Centre for Fortean Zoology, and show one of the most wonderful natural phenomena on the planet... Watch this space.

All pix © Jon Downes/CFZ