Why Are Cicadas So Loud? It Might Be Brood to Ask

This June, periodical cicadas treated certain areas of the East Coast to their eerie serenade of love. Okay, some would call it less than a serenade, and granted, I wouldn't want a cicada to whisper sweet nothings in my ear at his impressive volume of 90 dB (give or take).
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This June, periodical cicadas treated certain areas of the East Coast to their eerie serenade of love. Okay, some would call it less than a serenade, and granted, I wouldn't want a cicada to whisper sweet nothings in my ear at his impressive volume of 90 dB (give or take). But I have always been curious to witness the sheer acoustical power that's packaged in this relatively small creature, and to see the even smaller structure from whence all this sound originates.

So, for this episode of Nature in a New York Minute, I ventured into the thick of cicada territory on Staten Island. To answer the question Why are Cicadas So Loud?, it turns out I had to lift their skirts.

See more episodes at www.NatureMinute.com.

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