The cicada's vocal organ is located at the base of the abdomen, like a large drum covered with a layer of tympanic membrane. The tympanic membrane is vibrated to produce sound.

Because the stridor muscle can stretch and contract about 10,000 times per second, there is an empty space between the cover plate and the tympanic membrane, which can play the role of tinnitus, so the stridor is particularly loud. It can take turns to use various unused tones to sing passionately. The female cicada's instrument structure is incomplete and cannot make sounds, so it is a "dumb cicada". The female cicada has no sound generator, so it becomes a "dumb cicada."

The male cicada has a large, round sound cover on both sides of its front abdomen, with drum-like auditory capsules and vocal membranes underneath. When the muscles on the inner wall of the vocal membrane contract and vibrate, the cicada makes a sound.