Suzumushi: my wife's new obsession

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greg
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Suzumushi: my wife's new obsession

Post by greg »

About a week or so, my wife bought three suzumushi at the home center's pet department, along with a small, clear plastic box to put them in. This week, the number of insects has increased to six, and we now have a bigger box to put them in.

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These cute little bugs' names come from suzu "bell" and mushi "insect." The males sing their song by lifting their wings up and vibrating them together. I guess they are in the same family as the cricket, but the song of the suzumushi is much like its namesake, like the chiming of a bell. In the summertime, Japanese people enjoy their songs in the summer evenings, as it evokes a calming, cool sensation to the listener. I am not fond of crickets in the house and find them irritating, but I find that I sleep rather well with the suzumushi singing in the other room.

It is also interesting to know that the song of the suzumushi, for some reason, cannot be heard over a telephone. I've taken videos of them, and my camera can record the sound. But for some strange scientific reason I do not understand, telephones cannot pick up the sound.

Already, evenings have been pleasant with the constant song of frogs in the nearby rice fields, and now we have these bugs to add to the aural sensation at night. I like that a lot, because if it is completely silent, I can hear the ringing in my ears and that is unpleasant to fixate on.

We are fortunate to live in a quiet neighborhood that is very close to the train station and stores and such, but it is also a cozy neighborhood with plenty of rice fields, away from any major streets. Being from Phoenix, I never grew up around frogs. We had Colorado River toads, but those could not be easily found in the suburbs for the lack of water in the summers. I am fortunate to be here, especially when it is only 70 degrees while Phoenix now is over 110 degrees already!
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