The abdomen is the third and last segment of the cicada's body after the head and the thorax. Multiple and essential, its roles include - beyond the expected digestive, respiratory, and reproductive functions - singing and hearing. Cicadas of both sexes hear with their abdomen thanks to a pair of auditory organs located on the side of their second abdominal segment. The abdomen of the male cicada differs from that of the female, males being the only ones to sing and females the only ones to lay eggs.