The genus name comes directly from the Latin cicada 'buzzer', while the species name orni possibly comes from Fraxinus ornus (Manna Ash or South European Flowering Ash), where this cicada often lay its eggs deep in branches.

Adult cicadas can be encountered in summer feeding on sap from trees or shrubs, with their mouthparts well adapted for piercing and sucking.

Only males produce their calling song, a clicking sound caused by the contraction and relaxation of abdominal membranes (tymbal).

When the males are approached by the females, the courtship takes place, in which cicadas repeatedly hug and touch each other with their legs.

While their lifespan as adults lasts only about a month and a half for breeding, the larvae live for several years underground, feeding on the juices of plant roots.