Telling Cicada Species Apart by Sound
The best way to tell different cicada species apart is by their sound. Different species produce vastly different calls, to ensure to attract the right female. They also call at different times of day.
The songs of Magicicada septendecim, the most common species in Brood XIII, sound like “pharaoh.” They are typically heard in the morning. CLICK TO LISTEN
The songs of Magicicada septendecula sound like a lawnmower that is moving around. They are typically heard midday. CLICK TO LISTEN
The songs of Magicicada cassini sound like someone trying to get a lawnmower started. They are typically heard mid-to-late afternoon. CLICK TO LISTEN
In addition to the calling or mating song, many species can also display a distress song when in danger, as well as a courtship song, which is usually a quiet call produced only after a female has been attracted nearby.
Making a Racket
Cicadas are the most efficient and loudest sound-producing insects around. Only the males sing as a mating ritual to attract females. A single male’s courtship call can reach 90 dB —- equivalent to a noisy truck on the road or a kitchen blender.
Cicadas are different than other insects in that they actually have a musical drum in their abdomen. The organs that produce sound are called the tymbals, a pair of ribbed membranes at the base of the abdomen. Contracting the internal tymbal muscles cause the tymbal to buckle inwards and produce a pulse of sound. By relaxing these muscles, the tymbals pop back to their original position. The inside of the male abdomen is mostly hollow to amplify the sound as it resonates at the frequency of the call.
The loud noise produced by some cicadas actually repels birds, which are a main predator of all species of cicada. The males of many cicada species tend to group together when calling which increases the total volume of noise and reduces the chances of being eaten by birds.
