Cicada singing: the mechanism at 110,000 frames/second

[rjlittlefield]

https://youtu.be/TWc48iVC8u8?si=LgL_dh1KlZmE-s8N&t=926

This is from the Smarter Every Day channel. I've linked to a snippet where Destin Sandlin and friends show the tymbal mechanism in action, filmed at 110,000 frames/second

I had expected that the mechanism would be stridulation, but that's not the case at all.

It's actually progressive buckling of a ribbed membrane.

See https://www.science.org/content/article ... adas-chirp for more about that, or https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/art ... Production for much more detail.

--Rik

[MarkSturtevant]

Very interesting! It seems that the left and right tymbal organs should be pulsing in synchrony, given their description.

I have recently returned from spending a couple days in Illinois, where both the 17 year and 13 year broods are emerged. In the Springfield area, the two broods are in close proximity so that you can encounter both within a short drive. It was pretty incredible, although they seem denser in this footage.
I can report that I had tried to blow on a male cicada to get the tymbal organs to vibrate, reasoning that the thing might be like a kazoo. I tried blowing out, and also sucking in -- basically kissing a cicada and wheezing in and out on it. Well, it didn't work!

[WojTek]

Hello Rik,
Really cool!
Best, ADi

[dy5]

Truly fascinating stuff.

To me at least, the weirdest part of the story in the second paper Rik referenced has to do with the cicada's ears. The sound from the tymbals is radiated through the ears to the outside world. The tympana also affect the sound frequencies as part of a resonant system. Apparently, the males are shouting through their ears.

[bobfriedman]

very interesting thanx for sharing... wish I could afford a high speed cam.