Decibels

Experts say that when huge groups of cicadas are buzzing, the sound can be deafening — as loud as 95 to more than 100 decibels, comparable to a motorcycle at full throttle.

The male cicadas are making all the racket—a mating call produced by vibrating membranes in their abdomens. Their collective symphony approaches a level of 100 decibels—as loud as a motorcycle.