It’s summer in Australia, and the cicadas are already out in full force. This year is going to be a bumper year for cicadas, it seems. Cicadas are a good source of food for many birds. The food comes in particularly handy at this time of year, when chicks are hatching and demanding to be fed.

Today I spotted a green cicada for the first time ever. Well, that’s not exactly true. I did once see half a green cicada buzzing around, which was very distressing. The creature must have had an encounter with a bird. Today’s insect, though was in one piece, and lovely to see:

This cicada is known as the green grocer, or the great green cicada. It’s more scientific name is Cyclochila australasiae.

Cicadas make a very loud noise. The green grocer is one of the loudest insects in the world, spewing out a noise that can reach 120 decibels. (Prolonged exposure to a noise level of 90 decibels is harmful to the human ear, and 120 decibels can cause immediate harm.) Cicadas make their noise by pulsating their abdomens.

To see a cicada singing, or to see other types of cicadas, take a look at my earlier posts.