Greengrocer Cicada: 120 Decibels Near Pain Threshold
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- Greengrocer cicadas reach volumes of 120 decibels at close range, nearing the pain threshold for human hearing according to the Australian Museum, making them among the loudest invertebrates on land.
- Dr Lindsay Popple, an environmental consultant, described standing near a calling greengrocer as "like being near a jet taking off," noting males broadcast throughout the day and often at dusk to attract mates.
- The species produces its sound using drum-like organs called tymbals on either side of the body, amplified by hollow abdomens — and stops singing entirely if a person gets too close.
- Greengrocers emerge en masse in alternating batches roughly every seven years along Australia's east coast, with 2027 the next big event, a different rhythm from the North American cicada's 17-year cycle.
- Australian children in Sydney and Melbourne have long collected greengrocers, which come in vividly colored morphs nicknamed yellow Monday, masked devil, red warrior, chocolate soldier, and the rare blue moon.
- The northern greengrocer, the Queensland cousin, is known as the "seven o'clock cicada" for its habit of piping up at dinnertime.
Why it matters: For Australian kids who collect greengrocers in parks and gardens across Sydney and Melbourne, the next mass emergence isn't until 2027 — a seven-year wait for one of Earth's loudest bugs to return to their backyards.
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