So if you live anywhere near a tree, a garden or a patch of grass, you probably hear what reminds you of a soundtrack to a jungle movie outside your window. They’re bugs, and they’re great. They really get rolling in the humid August weather and then crescendo towards the end of the month. You possibly also hear your actual neighbors. They’re not in this guide.
Before they fade away with the rest of what’s best of summer, here’s a quick run-down of the more common noisemaking bugs. Mouse over the images above to identify the insects, and click on them to hear their sounds. Some of the sounds might take a little time to play. (If you’re not seeing anything, you might need the latest Flash plugin). The cicada is really more of a daytime singer, but sometimes on the warmer days they’ll keep singing after the sun sets.
Your results may vary.
Credit goes to the University of Florida’s Singing Insects of North America web site for the field recordings and photos, with the exception of the Wikipedia image of the Lyrical Cicada.
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