femoral-abdominal stridulation

Femoral-abdominal stridulation is a behavior in some insects where they produce sound by rubbing body parts together. This is a form of stridulation, a process common in insects like crickets and katydids. In heteropterans (true bugs), this sound production is usually not loud enough to be heard by humans.12

The mechanism often involves a roughened area, like a file or rasp, on one body part being rubbed against another, which may have pegs or ridges. Both male and female insects, and sometimes even nymphs, can stridulate. While some sounds may be related to courtship, the specific term "femoral-abdominal stridulation" refers to the location of these sound-producing organs on the femur (thigh) and abdomen. This behavior is useful in insect classification.2