Cicadas

These large insects are often spotted clinging to tree bark. On hot summer days, they produce a loud, unmistakable sound. You can recognize them by their triangular shape and flattened head.

Cicadas found in Quebec can grow up to 5 cm long, a size comparable to many cicada species around the world.

Cicadas also hold a special place in popular culture, thanks in part to La Fontaine’s fable La cigale et la fourmi (The Cicada and the Ant). But unlike the carefree character in the story, real cicadas have a complex life cycle and behaviour that help them survive remarkably well.

The cicadas’ “song”

People often say cicadas “sing,” but the sound doesn’t come from their mouths. Only males produce it, using membranes called tymbals located at the base of the abdomen. These domed, elastic organs are connected to muscles that, when they contract, make the tymbals vibrate, creating the cicada’s song.

Males sing to attract a mate. Their call can also draw in other males and prompt them to join in. This collective chorus can, in turn, help attract females from farther away. Each species has its own distinctive sound.

Unlike orthopterans, which tend to sing from the ground, cicadas’ calls usually come from the trees.

In Quebec, you can hear three species. The most common is the northern dog-day cicada (Neotibicen canicularis), but you may also encounter the aspen cicada (Okanagana noveboracensis) and the Say’s cicada (Okanagana rimosa).