The tymbal of a cicada: nature’s sound-generating metastructure

Pritam Ghoshal, Richa Singh, Hongcheng Tao, Eshan Ganju, Nikhilesh Chawla, James M. Gibert () and Anil K. Bajaj
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Pritam Ghoshal: Purdue University, Advanced Dynamics and Mechanics Lab
Richa Singh: Purdue University, Department of Biological Sciences
Hongcheng Tao: Purdue University, Advanced Dynamics and Mechanics Lab
Eshan Ganju: Purdue University, School of Materials Engineering
Nikhilesh Chawla: Purdue University, School of Materials Engineering
James M. Gibert: Purdue University, Advanced Dynamics and Mechanics Lab
Anil K. Bajaj: Purdue University, Ray W. Herrick Laboratories, School of Mechanical Engineering

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Cicadas generate sound through the interplay of tymbal buckling and body resonance, but a unified framework explaining the diversity of calls across species has been absent. In this study, we conceptualize the cicada’s sound-generation mechanism as a naturally occurring biological metastructure, characterized by periodically arranged ribs and inherent frequency filtering. We introduce a novel mechanical model comprising a chain of bistable oscillators coupled to a chain of resonators, which successfully captures both the snap-through dynamics of the tymbals and the subsequent acoustic filtering. This model represents the first species-adaptable framework capable of reproducing the distinct song frequencies and call patterns observed across multiple cicada species, offering a new understanding of this remarkable biomechanical system.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-65149-5

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