Cicadas produce a loud, high-pitched buzzing or droning sound that can resemble an electrical hum, a chainsaw, or a power saw. This sound is created by males using specialized structures called tymbals on their abdomens, which they rapidly contract and relax to produce clicking noises that combine into a continuous, often rhythmic whine or buzz. The hollow abdomen acts as a resonating chamber, amplifying the sound, which can reach volumes up to 100 decibels or more-comparable to a lawnmower or motorcycle and loud enough to cause hearing damage at close range
. The sound serves primarily as a mating call to attract females, with males sometimes synchronizing their calls to establish territory and increase attraction. Different cicada species produce distinct patterns and frequencies, which help them recognize mates of their own kind. Females may respond with wing clicks rather than the loud buzzing males produce
. Overall, cicada sounds are often described as a loud, continuous buzzing or droning noise that fills the air during warm months, especially in summer, and can be heard from a distance due to its intensity and the large numbers of cicadas calling simultaneously
