Meet the world's noisiest insect
Learn more about the steady hum that's synonymous with summer.
Every season comes with its unique sounds.
In fall, leaves fall to the ground and bustle around the street. Winter brings crackling ice and howling winds. In spring, we hear the birds again.
Crickets chirp on warm summer nights. During the day, there is the steady hum of cicadas.
Nicknamed the "heat bug," cicadas are the world's loudest insect. The North American varieties can make a noise that reaches 90 decibles - equivalent to the sound of a leaf blower. The African cicada is the loudest of the lot - and the loudest insect on the planet - with a love song that reaches 107 decibles.
Video: Cicada at large
What's up with the noise?
Male cicadas have a membrane called "tymbals" in their abdomens that create noise when they are expanded and contracted. The males use the noise to attract females, and they make the loudest noises on the hottest days.
They avoid hearing damage by closing up their ears when singing.
A long life
Some cicadas are annual and emerge every year. Others are periodical, spending between 13 and 17 years underground - likely to avoid predators - before emerging.
Sometimes, the periodical broods can be large, like in 2021, when a mind-boggling 1.5 million 17-year cicadas per acre emerged in the eastern U.S., jumping around and clinging to everything, including U.S. President Joe Biden.
Thumbnail image: File photo via Canva Pro.
