MILLBURN — They're so tiny if you blink you won't see them move in and out of the holes they burrow in tree trunks and dirt walkways.

But environmentalists say these insects, small cicada nymphs, which will transform into adult cicadas, are starting to emerge in New Jersey.

And in about eight weeks, once the transformation is complete, the brood’s males will start chirping their distinct mating calls all over the Garden State.

Steven Melendez, a data news developer for WNYC, said he has received reports of sightings from Flanders to Westfield, Short Hills and South Orange. WNYC partnered with RadioLab to create the Cicada Tracker map to record sightings on the East Coast.

The cycle is "something to celebrate as one of nature’s miracles," he said. "It’s just something we can try to enjoy."

Vera Figueiredo, an environmental scientist and outreach coordinator at Cora Hartshorn Arboretum and Bird Sanctuary in Short Hills, said the nymphs began popping up last week.

"They’re rock stars," she said. "I think they don’t know it, but I’m sure they are."

After 17 years, one of the largest broods of cicada nymphs are beginning to hatch in New Jersey. The first to arrive are at the Cora Hartshorn Arboretum and Bird Sanctuary in Short Hills.

And then they swarm the skies, mate and die off, leaving behind only their offspring, which take another 13-17 years to emerge.

But despite their mysterious life cycle, many find the insects to be nuisance and have a cicada horror story or two to share.

"It should be a very noisy summer," said Judy Trigg, executive director of the Short Hills arboretum.

David Robinson, the state climatologist at Rutgers University, said he can remember cicadas swarming around him in droves in Warren County 17 years ago. He even remembers the date: June 8.

"I’m a little surprised to hear they’re out," said Robinson, who said with more sophisticated data-collecting methods scientists will be able to predict their emergence better next time around.

For now, environmentalist say they’re eagerly waiting for one of Mother Nature’s most rare and procrastinating creatures to crack from their shells and fly again.

"Soon there’s going to be hundreds of these guys everywhere," said Figueiredo, who estimated that adults will start to fly in late May or early June, as she turned over a log to reveal several slow-moving nymphs. "That’s the most amazing part."

Staff writers Stephen Stirling and Eric Sagara contributed

to this report.

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