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I'll never vegetate the first time I heard it. Bzzzzzzzzz. I looked around me in astonishment and a bit insecure. It went on and on: bzzzzzzzz. Did it come from a high-voltage cable a little further away? Was the palm tree in the garden the source of the pervasive, monotonous buzz? But much more important than where it came from was the question: What was causing that annoying noise?
I now know that cicadas are responsible for the penetrating attack on the eardrums. An undoubtedly similar surprising experience awaits newbies in Spain every summer in July and August. But there is much more to say about the cicadas than what we hear from them in the summer.
There is a whole wonderful world behind the life of the cicadas. What is immediately striking is that the relatively large insects (2 to 5 centimeters) are so difficult to see. Their camouflage colors make them virtually invisible, especially on tree bark. But scientific research has revealed many more details. Some finds are very special. For example, we now know that the monotonous buzz of the male cicadas is caused by vibrating membranes. The vibration of the muscles occurs with an alarming frequency of 100 to 500 times per second (!). Researchers have also taught us that the volume of the buzz depends on the location. Cicadas make more noise on average in pine trees than in bushes or olive trees.
That difference in decibels is attributed to the soil in which trees are rooted. Pine trees provide a more favorable spot for the soil for a healthy life for the underground larvae. Which brings us to another curious fact. Larvae can develop to a depth of 2.5 meters. In addition, the animals have developed an ingenious way of not letting the larvae fall prey to their natural enemies en masse. The life of the larvae does not follow a logical timetable. They can stay underground from 1 to 9 (!) Years. For example, foxes, badgers, jays and other natural enemies are constantly put on the wrong track about the best time to hunt.
That decreases the death rate of the cicadas and increases (whether we like it or not) the number of participants in the noisy chorus of the buzzers.
