Welcome to the fascinating world of cicadas! Producing up to 120 decibels of sound, these are the loudest insects in the world.
What’s that noise in the Blue Mountains? If you can hear a very high-pitched, ear-piercing shrieky sound coming from the ground…then it’s probably a team of cicadas.
The Green Grocer is named after its vivid green body, and it’s one of the most common cicadas that you’ll see around the Blue Mountains, although there are heaps of different species that live in the Blue Mountains.
When is cicada season in the Blue Mountains?
Cicada season in the Blue Mountains tends to be around spring and summer. November and December are the loudest times for cicadas, so if you visit during the peak of summer, you’ll likely hear their ear-piercing calling…Don’t forget your earplugs!
There are two major stages of life: Underground and above ground.
Cicadas are some of the most exceptional creatures to exist because of their uniquely short lifecycle. Their life cycle only lasts for about 6-7 years. Yet, while this might not seem to be surprising for an insect, most of their lives are spent as babies, or ‘nymphs’, and they only emerge above ground as adults for a very short period before they die.
Why do Cicadas make a loud noise?
The loud noise that you hear cicadas make is the mating call that males scream out to attract female cicadas.
The way they make this noise is particularly interesting, too! Their abdomen has a unique structure to it, with lots of little muscles. They move these muscles very quickly, and this causes a very loud noise to emerge from their vibrations.
Why is it so loud?
The reason it’s so loud? Cicadas tend to make their sounds in a big group. If a predator is hunting them, they’ll be thrown off by the multiple cicadas all making the same noise at the same time. It’s disorientating for anything that’s trying to hunt them.