This Cicada's Love Song Sounds Like a Jet at Takeoff

The greengrocer cicada of eastern Australia fits in the palm of a hand. At close range it reportedly reaches 120 decibels, which the Australian Museum puts close to the point where sound becomes painful to human ears.

Environmental consultant Lindsay Popple likens standing near one to standing near a jet at takeoff.

The sound comes from tymbals, paired organs on the animal's flanks that work like drums, and the hollow abdomen amplifies it. The greengrocer has two songs, a steady drone and a croaking pulse.

The greengrocer is doing all of this to attract a mate. Males sing in bouts through the day and often again at dusk, each generating sound near the edge of human pain in an attempt to be romantically compelling. In terms of biological commitment to a single goal, it is difficult to argue with.

Australian children have long collected greengrocers, which come in color forms with nicknames such as yellow Monday, masked devil and blue moon. The next mass emergence is expected in 2027.

The closer you stand, the louder it gets. Get too close and the greengrocer stops singing.

Read the full story at The Guardian, August 6, 2026

Hot Take: The greengrocer doesn't care about your pain threshold. Neither does the trail.