jar fly
A cicada, the loud bug that buzzes in late-summer trees.
Also called jarfly, cicada.
Updated September 24, 2026
jar fly pronunciation
/JAR-fly/
Meaning
Appalachian and Southern name for the annual cicada, especially the dog-day kind that fires up in July and August. Folks say the jar flies are hollering when that harsh buzz fills the woods. The name comes from the jarring vibration of the song, not from a drinking jar. (If you were hunting a word for somebody who hangs around the bar, that is a barfly.)
How folks use it
- “Them jar flies are so loud you can hardly hear yourself think.”
- “When the jar flies start up, summer is about done.”
Origin and etymology
Folk name from jar, meaning to buzz or vibrate roughly, plus fly for the insect. Documented across the South and Appalachia for the cicada's late-summer racket. Mountain writers use it as a summer soundtrack word.
Frequently asked questions
Is a jar fly the same as a locust?
People sometimes call them locusts, but a jar fly is a cicada. True locusts are a kind of grasshopper.