/**
 * file: karbytes_10_june_2024.txt
 * type: plain-text
 * date: 10_JUNE_2024
 * author: karbytes
 * license: PUBLIC_DOMAIN
 */

The following text was copy-pasted from a conversation which karbytes had with ChatGPT-4o (which is newer version of ChatGPT than is ChatGPT-4) on 10_JUNE_2024 at approximately 12:00PM Pacific Standard Time.

(Note that the chat user handle which did not appear on the ChatGPT web page chat interface appears as “karbytes” in this plain-text note. Note also that karbytes had to manually insert the numbers prefacing some of ChatGPT’s text output because those numbers were not copied over. Also, karbytes manually inserted dash symbols (“-“) where ChatGPT printed bullet points (and those bullet point characters were also not copied over into this plain-text note)).

* * *

karbytes

What are those bugs near Chabot Staging Area in Castro Valley, California called which generate a continuous high-pitched buzzing sound (especially in June)?

ChatGPT

The bugs you’re referring to near Chabot Staging Area in Castro Valley, California, are most likely cicadas. Cicadas are known for their distinctive, high-pitched buzzing sounds, which are particularly prominent during the warmer months, including June. The males produce this sound to attract females. Cicadas are often associated with hot weather and are commonly found in many parts of the world, including California.

karbytes

How do cicadas make those sounds?

ChatGPT

Cicadas produce their distinctive high-pitched sounds using specialized structures called tymbals, located on the sides of their abdominal base. Here’s how the process works:

1. Tymbals: The tymbals are membranes that cicadas can rapidly contract and release using their powerful muscles. These membranes are ribbed and can buckle inward and outward.

2. Muscle Contraction: When the cicada contracts the muscles attached to the tymbals, the tymbals buckle inward, producing a sharp click.

3. Resonance: The rapid contraction and relaxation of the tymbals create a series of clicks that occur in quick succession. These clicks resonate within the cicada’s mostly hollow abdomen, amplifying the sound.

4. Rapid Repetition: The muscle contractions can occur very rapidly, often several hundred times per second, creating the continuous buzzing or droning sound characteristic of cicadas.

5. Species-Specific Songs: Each species of cicada has its unique song or call, which helps individuals of the same species locate each other for mating.

The combination of the tymbals’ structure, the speed of the muscle contractions, and the resonance within the cicada’s body all contribute to the loud and distinctive sounds cicadas are known for.