Cicadas: Superfamily Cicadoidea The drone of cicadas is one of
Sydney's most recognisable sounds of summer. Cicadas are the
loudest insects in the world and there are more than 200 species
in Australia. It is thought that the sound produced by some
communal species can act as a defence against predatory birds
and some are even loud enough (120 decibels) to be painful to
the human ear. Cicadas also often sing in chorus, which makes it
more difficult for a predator to locate an individual. Cicadas
are so conspicuous that many of their common names were
initially given to them by children. As a result cicadas
probably have the most colourful common names in the insect
world. Some of these include: Black Prince (Psaltoda plaga),
Double Drummer, Floury Baker, and the Green Grocer or Yellow
Monday, Cyclochila australasiae. - Only male cicadas sing. They
do this in an attempt to find a mate. - Different species have
different songs to attract only their own kind. - Adult cicadas
have short lives, usually only a few