How can crickets make such a loud noise?

Question

On summer nights, or hot steamy mornings, I hear the sound of the crickets "chirping." I know that they make this noise by rubbing or scraping their wings together. But I just do not understand how tiny little insects rubbing body parts together could possibly create such a loud, distinctive sound. When I look up at the trees I see nothing. WHERE ARE THEY ANYWAY? And why can't I see them? Thanks a lot -- this one's really been "bugging" me for a long time!

Answer 1

Mole crickets, so named because they dig underground burrows, also make loud noises with amorous intent, says British Zoologist H.C. Bennet-Clark. In fact, they make their burrows in the shape of double-horned acoustic amplifiers to concentrate and focus their siren sounds for maximum effect in attracting females. They produce the noise by rubbing a toothed vein on one forewing with a pluck on the other. University of Florida Entomologist Thomas J. Walker explains that male field crickets produce three identifiable songs: one to hail a likely lover, another to beguile one already enthralled, and a third to warn off a potential rival. The kind of sound a cricket makes depends on the species, the air temperature and the circumstances in which the individual insect finds himself.

Extract 4m