Timbal organs are specialized organs producing sounds characteristic of singing cicadas . They look like a rigid cuticular membrane, driven by strong muscles, bending and bending it.
The timbal organs are located on the lower side of the posterior thorax , behind the hind legs, under two large semicircular scales. This sound device consists of a median and two lateral cavities. At the bottom of the middle cavity there are two pairs of membranes, of which two front membranes are called folds (in view of the presence of folds), and two rear membranes are called mirrors, since they are shiny and smooth. The lateral cavities have a side opening that leads to the surface of the body. A tympanic membrane is inserted in the inner wall of these cavities, to which a muscle is attached, causing the membrane to vibrate. Middle cavities serve as resonators.
In females, the timbal organs are rudimentary, and they cannot make sounds with them.