Dec 13, 2023
Uncharismatic Fact of the Day
December is often highly anticipated (or dreaded) for its associated long list of Christmas Carols- but there's another holiday sound that those in Australia dread even more: the double drummer. The largest species of cicada in the country, Thopha saccata is also reportedly the loudest insect in the world. Its name comes from the large pockets that the adult male has on each side of its abdomen which he uses to amplify his mating calls. Even small groups of adults can produce a sound in excess of 120 decibels!
(Image: A double drummer cicada () resting on someone's hand by Dave Britton)
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