(Describer) Logos appear: KQED; PBS. A title: Deep Look. A variable field cricket climbs a plant. The sun sets beyond a grassy field.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[CRICKETS CHIRPING]

NARRATOR: Ever notice how a quiet summer evening is actually pretty noisy?

(Describer) A cricket vibrates its wings.

It's mostly these guys. Crickets clearly have a lot to say. That familiar, persistent chirp is an advertisement meant to get the attention of her.

(Describer) A female symbol.

It's his mating call. So how is he actually making the sound? Check this out. On the underside of his wings, there is this little line of tiny microscopic teeth all in a row.

(Describer) The perpendicular line of teeth looks like one side of a zipper.

It's called the file. His wings also have a hard edge right here called the scraper.

(Describer) Parallel to the cricket's body; ninety degrees to the "file."

When he rubs his wings together, the scraper on the bottom wing grates across all those teeth on the top wing. Researchers call it stridulation. Here it is slowed down.

(Describer) From below, in black-and-white silhouette, a cricket's wings overlap, one passing across the other.

[slow grating]

His wing strokes happen faster than your eye can see-- for this species, about eight wing strokes in a single chirp. But not every chirp has amorous intentions.

(Describer) Two crickets converge.

If a male runs into another male, he also has an angry sounding rivalry call.

[both chirp loudly]

(Describer) Two "male" symbols appear.

He's saying, "Hey, this is my turf."

(Describer) One cricket flees.

OK, back to business-- drawing in the ladies. She looks a lot like the males, except she has this long pointy ovipositor right here that she uses to lay her eggs underground.

(Describer) Like a tail with a spade.

Oh, also-- she can't chirp. Her wings don't have the same musical instruments that his do. She just listens to the serenade with her ears, which are on her front legs. That's one right there. It's called a tympanum.

(Describer) A tiny white oval lies embedded in her front foreleg. The female cricket scurries next to the male.

OK. He's got her attention.

[chirping]

But she's not convinced.

[lighter chirp]

So he switches up his tune again to a courtship call. It's quieter, more subtle, like a whisper. Seems as though she likes what she hears. So she hops on.

(Describer) The female cricket climbs onto the male's back. The male wiggles his body and waves his antennae.

After a lifetime of crooning, the file on a male's wing starts to get worn down. His song gets a bit raspy and low. Aww, you've still got it, buddy.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

(Describer) Credits appear: Producer/Writer/Cinematographer: Josh Cassidy. Narrator/Writer: Lauren Sommer. Original Music: Seth Samuel. Lead Producer: Josh Cassidy. Funding for KQED Science is provided by the National Science Foundation. Copyright 2020 KQED Inc. kqed.org/DeepLook. Accessibility provided by the U.S. Department of Education.