Cicadas like to sing. And when thousands of them gather on a six-story wall, the noise they produce is deafening.


As with most ostentatious displays, these male cicadas are looking for a mate. When in full singing mode, male cicadas can reach 100 decibels at their loudest. That's as loud as a chain saw or a jack hammer. How is a small insect able to produce such a loud noise? They use a membrane in their abdomen called a tymbal and click it very rapidly. It may be an annoyance to us, but it sure does attract those lady cicadas. [Square Peg PinHole via Buzzfeed]