"Voted least likely to need a megaphone... The male cicada makes the loudest sound in the insect world. By vibrating the ribbed plates in a pair of amplifying cavities at the base of the abdomen, the mating sound of the cicada can be heard as far as 440 yards! These insect noisemakers rarely ever stop calling for a mate. The noise from large groups of cicadas can often drown out even the noisiest lawnmower." http://www.ivyhall.district96.k12.il.us/4th/kkhp/1insects/cicada.html