A persistent buzzing noise heard in St Giles' churchyard in Matlock, Derbyshire, has been identified as the mating song of a male cicada. Angela Neale initially thought the sound was an electrical fault or a drone, but a passer-by suggested it might be a cicada.
A video of the sound was sent to The Species Recovery Trust, whose director, Dominic Price, confirmed it was a male cicada's mating song. Price stated that these are not the native New Forest cicadas, which the trust is working to reintroduce and are currently in captivity.
The trust believes these non-native insects likely entered the UK through the horticultural trade, with microscopic eggs and larvae buried in the soil of imported potted plants. Price also suggested that warmer temperatures and recent UK heatwaves are making the environment more suitable for these insects to survive.
While the presence of surviving non-native cicadas indicates a more suitable climate for the species, Price noted that the chances of these individual males finding a female are very low due to their small numbers.