Australia's Greengrocer Cicada Hits 120 Decibels
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- The Australian greengrocer cicada is among the loudest invertebrates on land, reportedly reaching volumes as high as 120 decibels at close range — nearing the pain threshold for human hearing, according to the Australian Museum.
- Greengrocers produce two main acoustic tunes — a continuous drone and a croaking pulse — using drum-like organs called tymbals on either side of their bodies, amplified by their hollow abdomens, environmental consultant Dr Lindsay Popple told the Guardian.
- The species emerges in late spring along Australia's east coast and materialises en masse in alternating batches at roughly seven-year intervals, with 2027 the next big event — a different cycle from the North American cicada's 17-year emergence.
- Greengrocer cicadas come in vividly coloured morphs with collector nicknames including the yellow Monday, masked devil, red warrior, chocolate soldier, and the rare blue moon — making them a staple of Australian children's collecting folklore.
- Males broadcast at intervals throughout the day and often at dusk to attract mates, and their Queensland cousin the northern greengrocer is nicknamed the "seven o'clock cicada" for its dinnertime calling, Popple said.
- The cicadas stop singing when humans get too close, and Popple likened standing near one on a hot morning to "being near a jet taking off."
Why it matters: The greengrocer is found in some of Australia's most populated areas along the east coast, meaning millions of residents get a front-row seat — sometimes a deafening one — to a roughly seven-year mass emergence, with the next cycle due in 2027. The species' cultural footprint is unusually large for an insect: children collect its colour morphs and exoskeletons as a folk pastime predating marbles and trading cards.
