The Top 9 Loudest Insects in the World

In a world full of lions and whales, insects seem inferior when it comes to noise levels. But some of the loudest insects in the world produce incredible, overwhelmingly loud noises! In fact, some of these insects rank on the list of the loudest animals in the world.

Discover the insects that are the loudest in the world. Learn their noise level, as well as where they live and why they produce their exciting sounds. Some of these insects are sure to surprise you!

Breaking news: the cicada isn’t in the number-one spot! Scroll to find out who is!

9. Bees

Interestingly enough, the ninth-loudest insect in the world is one that many of us have encountered here in the United States: the bee! If you’ve ever had a bee fly by your ear, you know their buzz can be intense. But did you know it can reach a volume of 65 decibels? Bees that have been agitated are capable of making a noise louder than a normal conversation (which is around 60 dB).

The buzz of a bee isn’t verbal. It’s actually from their wings hitting one another at a rapid pace! Bees have been known to flap their wings at a pace of over 200 flaps per second. That’s what produces their iconic buzz. Bees live all over the world and on every continent except Antarctica.

8. Tobacco hornworm

The acid-spewing tobacco hornworm is the eighth-loudest insect in the world. These caterpillars can produce a sound of between 82 and 93 decibels! The sound of tobacco hornworms is a click that is generally used to ward off predators. These defensive clicks are pretty noisy, coming in at a noise level that is similar to that of a vacuum cleaner! The clicks that these caterpillars produce are from their mandibles (or jaw bones). These caterpillars turn into Manduca sexta moths over their lifespan. The caterpillars and the moths can be found in the southern portions of the United States, though some have been spotted as northerly as New York.

7. Desert Locust

Another noisy insect is the desert locust. Desert locusts take the seventh place spot for loudest insects on Earth, and for good reason. They can reach a volume of 95 decibels! Desert locusts produce stridulations for the purpose of mating. These stridulations are created by rubbing their front wings on their legs. Incredibly, these rubbing sound makes a noise that is louder than a leaf blower! Desert locusts thrive in dry regions. They primarily live in Africa and southwest Asia. As you can guess, their coloration helps them survive in these dry regions, as they blend in with the sand and desert plants.

6. European Mole Cricket

The sixth loudest insect in the world is an extremely interesting-looking cricket: the European mole cricket! European mole crickets can reach volumes of 96 decibels. That makes them louder than some concerts! Like the desert locust, European mole crickets make their noises by producing a stridulation. However, instead of scraping their wings against their legs, they rub their wings on one another!

European mole crickets stridulate in order to mate. Their sound is produced to call females to them deep underground. These endangered crickets live in the warmer spots of Europe, though some have made their way to parts of the United States.

5. Katydids

The fifth-loudest insect in the world is the beautiful, well-camouflaged katydid. Katydids can produce a noise that reaches up to 98 decibels! For context, farm tractors are as noisy as these little bugs! Katydids make their noise by rubbing their beautiful, leaf-like wings together in stridulations. These stridulations, like many of the bugs on this list, are for the purpose of mating. This sound is called a trill in katydids and, while the sound is generally produced by males, females are also capable of producing it. Katydids come in over 6,000 types, and they live all over the world.

4. Water Boatman

Reaching almost 100 dB, the fourth loudest insect on Earth is the water boatman. Water boatmen can reach a volume of 99. These bugs have the biggest size-to-sound ratio on Earth, ranking them as the loudest species for how small they are! Like many of the insects on this list, water boatmen stridulate, but they have a unique method. They use their genitals to make this incredible noise! They’re the only known species on Earth to do this. Another cool fact about water boatmen is that they produce their noise underwater. Despite making the sound at the bottom of a water body, it can be heard from land!

3. Periodical Cicada

We all know cicadas are pretty loud! There are two types of cicadas on this list, and the first is the periodical cicada. The periodical cicada, also known as the Brood X cicada, is capable of producing a sound that reaches 100 decibels. The noises that these cicadas produce are for mating, as well as for defense. Their loud noise turns predators in the opposite direction! Periodical cicadas have an organ called the tymbal organ that enables them to produce these loud noises. The insects expand and contract their tymbal organ, and their iconic call is produced!

2. African Cicada

The second cicada on this list, and the second loudest insect in the world, is the African cicada. These bugs are insanely loud, as they’re capable of producing a noise that reaches 107 decibels. That noise is louder than a power mower at full volume! They make this sound with their tymbal organ, just like periodical cicadas. However, their loud noise is for the purpose of mating! African cicada males are known to produce this song in groups, which makes for an astronomically loud orchestra of noise. African cicadas live all around the world but originated in Africa.

1. Peacock Butterfly

Finally, the loudest insect on the list is the beautiful peacock butterfly. While there are many sources that contend the cicada is the loudest insect, researchers have discovered that the peacock butterfly produces a click that measures 110 decibels. That’s an insanely loud butterfly! These beauties live in a few different regions around the world, primarily in Europe and temperate parts of Asia.

Summary of the Loudest Insects in the World

The loudest insects in the world are so interesting. They are unique, producing their sounds in a wide variety of ways for a long list of reasons. Here’s a quick recap of the loudest insects on Earth: