The loud, persistent buzzing that characterizes the soundscape of the Hawaiian Islands leads many visitors to assume they are hearing a large chorus of cicadas. This intense, high-volume noise is a signature of the tropical environment, particularly noticeable in the lush, vegetated areas across the islands. However, the source of the constant acoustic activity is often misidentified, masking a complex situation involving both native insects and a highly successful invasive species. The tropical soundscape is a blend of different creatures calling out during the day and night, each adding a layer to the pervasive sound.
The Direct Answer: Cicadas in Hawaii
The large, loud periodical or annual cicadas that emerge in great numbers across the continental United States are not generally established in Hawaii. While the islands do host some species of insects related to cicadas, such as planthoppers and leafhoppers, these are not the source of the widespread, high-decibel acoustic presence. The iconic, buzzing choruses known from mainland North America are absent from the Hawaiian ecosystem. Therefore, if you are hearing an incredibly loud, continuous sound during a trip to Hawaii, it is virtually certain that the sound is not coming from a true cicada species.
The True Source of Island Insect Sounds
The daytime and early evening chirps, clicks, and whirring sounds are largely produced by crickets and katydids. Hawaii is home to a high number of native cricket and katydid species, with endemic crickets alone numbering twice the amount found in the entire continental United States. These insects produce their characteristic songs through a mechanism known as stridulation, which involves rubbing body parts together.
This friction causes the wings to vibrate intensely, amplifying the sound through specialized wing structures. Katydids, also known as bush crickets, generally produce a long, continuous high-frequency whirring or buzzing sound, sometimes mistaken for a mechanical noise. Field crickets, conversely, tend to produce the sharper, more rhythmic chirping often associated with nighttime sounds, though they are active at various times.
The Coqui Frog Phenomenon
The most notorious sound in the Hawaiian soundscape, especially after sundown, is not an insect but an amphibian: the coqui frog (Eleutherodactylus coqui). This small, nocturnal tree frog is an invasive species, originally native to Puerto Rico, and is responsible for the incredibly loud, incessant night chorus. The male coqui emits a distinct two-note call, “co-qui,” which it uses to attract mates and defend its territory.
The sound produced by a single male frog can reach extraordinary volumes, often measuring between 90 and 100 decibels at close range. This volume is comparable to the noise level of a lawnmower or a jackhammer, making a chorus of hundreds of frogs an overwhelming acoustic experience. The calls begin around dusk and continue relentlessly until dawn. These small frogs arrived in Hawaii unintentionally, most likely transported within shipments of nursery plants in the late 1980s.
Why These Sounds Dominate the Hawaiian Landscape
The sheer volume and persistence of the island sounds are directly linked to the success of invasive species, particularly the coqui frog. In its native habitat, the frog’s population is naturally regulated by predators and competitors, but those controls are absent in Hawaii. The favorable climate and abundant resources have allowed the coqui population to explode to extraordinary densities, reaching up to 91,000 frogs per hectare in some areas.
This massive population density explains why the “co-qui” call seems to come from every direction and is so difficult to escape at night. The overwhelming volume of the invasive species’ calls drowns out the quieter, more complex songs of Hawaii’s native fauna.