Loudest insect

The loudest insect is the shrill thorntree cicada (Brevisana brevis), native to wooded areas of sub-Saharan Africa including Zambia, South Africa and Malawi, which produces a calling song with a mean sound-pressure level of 106.7 decibels at a distance of 50 cm (1 ft 7.5 in). Cicada song plays a vital role in both communication and reproduction.

Noise intensity is measured in decibel units (dB) with silence equal to 0 dB. Rustling leaves rates at about 10 dB, a whisper is 20 dB, a normal conversation is 60 dB, busy street traffic is 70 dB, a vacuum cleaner is 80 dB and standing in the front row of a rock concert equates to around 110 dB. Anything over 120 dB is painful to the human ear, such as standing too close to a jet plane during take-off, which can reach 140 dB.