Thopha saccata, commonly known as the double drummer, is an Australian cicada native to Queensland and New South Wales . It is the largest Australian cicada, and the loudest cicada in the world . They are brown in colour with a black pattern across the back. The male double drummer has small pockets (‘timbals’) on each side of its abdomen - the ‘double drums’ – that are used to amplify the sound it produces .
The double drummer is found from northern tropical Queensland, near Cooktown, to temperate areas as far south as Moruya, New South Wales, with adults present from November to March .