Cicadas make their famous buzz with paired organs called tymbals (also spelled timbals), not with their wings. Muscles buckle the tymbals’ ribbed membranes inward and outward, producing rapid pulses. Air sacs and the hollow male abdomen resonate with those pulses, turning a small mechanical movement into a remarkably loud, species-specific call.
The cicada’s built-in sound instrument
A tymbal is a specialized, ribbed membrane on each side of the first abdominal segment. University of Florida descriptions identify a flexible cuticle, a stiff outer rim, narrow ribs and a larger plate linked to a muscle. This arrangement works more like a tiny spring-loaded instrument than a vibrating vocal cord.
1. A muscle pulls the tymbal
When the tymbal muscle contracts, a cuticular rod pulls on the plate. The ribs buckle suddenly inward. When the muscle relaxes, the stored tension lets them spring outward again. Depending on the species, the inward movement, the outward movement or both movements contribute to the audible pulse.
2. Each buckle creates a pressure pulse
The rapid collapse of the ribs displaces air. Reid’s 1971 Science study of Magicicada septendecim and Magicicada cassini described each collapse as exciting a damped oscillation in a resonant cavity. The insect is therefore not rubbing its wings together; it is repeatedly snapping a membrane with precisely controlled muscular contractions.
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3. Air sacs and the abdomen amplify it
Behind each tymbal is an air sac. In many species, the tymbals sit within chambers formed by the thorax and abdomen. The hollow male abdomen acts as an additional resonating cavity, reinforcing some frequencies and shaping the final tone. The abdomen’s size, form and openings determine how efficiently the pulses become sound in the surrounding air.
4. Many pulses become a buzz or whine
Sequential rib buckling allows one contraction to generate several pressure pulses. In the 1971 study, each contraction excited the abdominal cavity about 10 to 12 times as the ribs buckled in sequence. Educational sources report approximate rates around 300 to 400 sound waves or clicks per second, but the exact figure varies with species and with how the sound is measured.
Which cicadas make the loud call?
The familiar, sustained song is normally produced by males. It is chiefly a mating signal that attracts sexually responsive females of the same species. Calling songs are species-specific, helping females find an appropriate mate among a noisy chorus.
Periodical cicada males often gather in choruses in high, sunlit branches. A chorus makes individual males easier for females to locate, but it also creates the intense wall of sound people notice.
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Other male sounds
Males can also produce quieter courtship signals and disturbance or alarm sounds. These signals differ from the main calling song in timing and intensity.
Do females make noise?
Females of most species do not have the male-like sound-producing tymbals. Some answer a male with a wing flick or another signal rather than a comparable loud song. Both sexes do have tympana (singular: tympanum) on the underside of the abdomen; these are hearing organs, not the sound-making tymbals.
Why different species sound different
A cicada song is the combined result of several physical and behavioral variables:
- Tymbal design: rib number, stiffness, thickness and geometry affect the pulse.
- Muscle timing: contraction speed and the sequence of rib buckling set pulse rate and rhythm.
- Resonant chambers: the air sacs, abdominal cavity and any openings determine which frequencies are strengthened.
- Body shape: abdomen size and form alter resonance, so related species can still have clearly different calls.
- Calling behavior: time of day, chorus density and the pattern of repeated phrases add recognizable structure.
That is why identifying a species by sound can be possible even when several cicadas occupy the same tree. The call is not determined by one organ alone; it is the acoustic product of the entire tymbal-and-abdomen system.
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Published figures are examples, not a universal maximum. Distance from the insect, species, habitat and sound-measurement method all matter.
| Reported level | Context | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| About 100 dB | Hong Kong Science Museum, 2020, for some species | Comparable in the museum’s description to an operating electric drill; not a level reached by every cicada. |
| More than 120 dB at close range | Australian Museum, undated page, for some large Australian species including the Greengrocer/Yellow Monday and Double Drummer | A close-range example for particularly loud species, not a general cicada reading at all distances. |
Sound decreases as you move away from the caller, while trees, buildings and a chorus can change how loud it seems. A cicada that is uncomfortable to stand beside may be far less intense a short distance away.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Common misconceptions
“Are cicadas chirping with their wings?”
No. Wings may be used in visual displays or female response signals, but the characteristic male buzz starts with the tymbals. The wings do not generate the main calling sound by rubbing together.
“Is the clicking organ called a tympanum?”
No. The sound-producing organ is the tymbal or timbal. A tympanum (plural tympana) is a hearing organ.
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“Why does the song stop suddenly?”
A male can stop the muscle contractions that drive the tymbals. A disturbance, a change in the social chorus or the end of a signaling bout can therefore silence an otherwise continuous call.
What to listen for in the field
When comparing cicadas, note the pulse rate, pitch, rhythm and whether the sound is a steady buzz, a sequence of phrases or a changing pattern. Also record the time of day, habitat, apparent sex and distance from the caller. Those observations, combined with a regional cicada field guide, are more reliable for identification than loudness alone.
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