@article {57967, title = {Are terrestrial isopods able to use stridulation and vibrational communication as forms of intra and interspecific signaling and defense strategies as insects do? A preliminary study in Armadillo officinalis}, year = {2020}, abstract = {

The capability of producing sounds and vibrations is well known in insects and is thought to be a form of intra- and interspecific communication. Sounds and vibrations are used and modulated for several aims such as interacting with conspecifics, getting information from the environment, and defending against predators. This phenomenon is less known but also present in other arthropods, including a few roller-type terrestrial isopods. In this study, we used a Y-shape test apparatus to investigate the behavior of adult individuals of Armadillo officinalis Dum\éril, 1816 (Crustacea: Isopoda: Oniscidea) when exposed to two particular vibrational stimuli, namely species-specific stridulations and non-specific substrate-borne vibrations. Our results showed that adults of A. officinalis significantly react to the presence of both types of vibrational stimuli, by moving away from the vibrational source as if they experienced these vibrations as a sign of danger or disturbance. A. officinalis can produce stridulations only when it rolls into a ball during the so-called conglobation, a possible defense mechanism against predators. Stridulation might thus be a secondary form of defense used during conglobation to deter a predator following contact with it and might be experienced as an alert by conspecifics nearby. The high sensitivity to non-specific substrate-borne vibrations might provide A. officinalis with the possibility to anticipate dangers and adverse conditions, giving it a better chance of survival.

}, keywords = {biotremology, Crustacea: Isopoda: Oniscidea, insects, vibrational communication}, doi = {10.1007/s00114-019-1656-3}, url = {http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00114-019-1656-3}, author = {Cividini, Sofia and Sfenthourakis, Spyros and Montesanto, Giuseppe} } @article {57922, title = {Stink Bug Communication with Multimodal Signals Transmitted through Air and Substrate}, journal = {Emerging Science Journal}, volume = {3}, year = {2019}, month = {Jan-12-2019}, pages = {407 - 424}, abstract = {

This review represents complex mechanisms and processes of multimodal communication in stink bugs. During reproductive behavior the airborne and substrate-borne signals enable mate recognition, mediate directionality of movement, eliminate rivals and motivate partners for copulation. Species specific characteristics prevent hybridization at various levels of mating behavior. Male sex and/or aggregation pheromones as uni- or multicomponent signals attract mates to land on the same plant and there, trigger females to call males by vibratory signals, transmitted through the plant. Communication during courtship runs at short distance with visual, airborne, substrate-borne and contact chemical and mechanical signals. Abdomen vibrations produce the main repertoire of female and male calling, courtship and rival vibratory signals. To increase their informational value, stink bugs tune signal frequency, amplitude and temporal characteristics with mechanical properties of plants. The airborne component of species non-specific and high amplitude signals, produced by body tremulation and wing buzzing enables communication contact between mates standing on mechanically isolated plants. Female vibratory signals increase the amount of male emitted pheromone and the latter keeps female calling. Interaction, synergy and characteristics of visual, contact chemical and vibratory signals, exchanged during courtship remain under-investigated. Female and male competition for access to copulation in imbalanced sex conditions is characterized by duetting with rival song vibratory signals. Different receptors in and on different parts of the body are able to detect with high sensitivity multimodal airborne and substrate-borne communication signals. The relevance of the multimodal communication for the reproductive success of stink bugs is discussed.

}, keywords = {communication, environment, insects, Multimodality, Pentatomidae, Signals, Transmission Medium}, doi = {10.28991/esj-2019-01203}, url = {https://ijournalse.org/index.php/ESJ/article/view/215https://ijournalse.org/index.php/ESJ/article/viewFile/215/pdfhttps://ijournalse.org/index.php/ESJ/article/viewFile/215/pdf}, author = {{\v C}okl, Andrej and {\v Z}uni{\v c}-Kosi, Alenka and Laumann, Raul Alberto} } @article {53154, title = {Evolutionarily conserved coding properties favour the neuronal representation of heterospecific signals of a sympatric katydid species}, journal = {Journal of Comparative Physiology A}, volume = {204}, year = {2018}, month = {Jan-10-2018}, pages = {859 - 872}, abstract = {

To function as a mechanism in premating isolation, the divergent and species-specific calling songs of acoustic insects must be reliably processed by the afferent auditory pathway of receivers. Here, we analysed the responses of interneurons in a katydid species that uses long-lasting acoustic trills and compared these with previously reported data for homologous interneurons of a sympatric species that uses short chirps as acoustic signals. Some interneurons of the trilling species respond exclusively to the heterospecific chirp due to selective, low-frequency tuning and \“novelty detection\”. These properties have been considered as evolutionary adaptations in the sensory system of the chirper, which allow it to detect signals effectively during the simultaneous calling of the sympatric sibling species. We propose that these two mechanisms, shared by the interneurons of both species, did not evolve in the chirper to guarantee its ability to detect the chirp under masking conditions. Instead we suggest that chirpers evolved an additional, 2-kHz component in their song and exploited pre-existing neuronal properties for detecting their song under masking noise. The failure of some interneurons to respond to the conspecific song in trillers does not prevent intraspecific communication, as other interneurons respond to the trill.

}, keywords = {Auditory processing, insects, Selective coding, signal detection, signal evolution}, issn = {0340-7594}, doi = {10.1007/s00359-018-1282-0}, url = {http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00359-018-1282-0}, author = {Kostarakos, Konstantinos} } @article {53057, title = {Species Richness (of Insects) Drives the Use of Acoustic Space in the Tropics}, journal = {Remote Sensing}, volume = {9}, year = {2017}, month = {Jan-11-2017}, pages = {1096}, abstract = {

Acoustic ecology, or ecoacoustics, is a growing field that uses sound as a tool to evaluate animal communities. In this manuscript, we evaluate recordings from eight tropical forest sites that vary in species richness, from a relatively low diversity Caribbean forest to a megadiverse Amazonian forest, with the goal of understanding the relationship between acoustic space use (ASU) and species diversity across different taxonomic groups. For each site, we determined the acoustic morphospecies richness and composition of the biophony, and we used a global biodiversity dataset to estimate the regional richness of birds. Here, we demonstrate how detailed information on activity patterns of the acoustic community (\<22 kHz) can easily be visualized and ASU determined by aggregating recordings collected over relatively short periods (4\–13 days). We show a strong positive relationship between ASU and regional and acoustic morphospecies richness. Premontane forest sites had the highest ASU and the highest species richness, while dry forest and montane sites had lower ASU and lower species richness. Furthermore, we show that insect richness was the best predictor of variation in total ASU, and that insect richness was proportionally greater at high-diversity sites. In addition, insects used a broad range of frequencies, including high frequencies (\>8000 Hz), which contributed to greater ASU. This novel approach for analyzing the presence and acoustic activity of multiple taxonomic groups contributes to our understanding of ecological community dynamics and provides a useful tool for monitoring species in the context of restoration ecology, climate change and conservation biology.

}, keywords = {amphibians, ARBIMON, Biodiversity monitoring, birds, community ecology, insects, passive acoustic monitoring, rapid assessments, Soundscape, species richness}, doi = {10.3390/rs9111096}, url = {http://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/9/11/1096}, author = {T. Mitchell Aide and Hern{\'a}ndez-Serna, Andres and Campos-Cerqueira, Marconi and Acevedo-Charry, Orlando and Jessica L. Deichmann} } @article {51471, title = {Species Richness (of Insects) Drives the Use of Acoustic Space in the Tropics}, journal = {Remote Sensing}, volume = {9}, year = {2017}, month = {Jan-11-2017}, pages = {1096}, abstract = {

Acoustic ecology, or ecoacoustics, is a growing field that uses sound as a tool to evaluate animal communities. In this manuscript, we evaluate recordings from eight tropical forest sites that vary in species richness, from a relatively low diversity Caribbean forest to a megadiverse Amazonian forest, with the goal of understanding the relationship between acoustic space use (ASU) and species diversity across different taxonomic groups. For each site, we determined the acoustic morphospecies richness and composition of the biophony, and we used a global biodiversity dataset to estimate the regional richness of birds. Here, we demonstrate how detailed information on activity patterns of the acoustic community (\<22 kHz) can easily be visualized and ASU determined by aggregating recordings collected over relatively short periods (4\–13 days). We show a strong positive relationship between ASU and regional and acoustic morphospecies richness. Premontane forest sites had the highest ASU and the highest species richness, while dry forest and montane sites had lower ASU and lower species richness. Furthermore, we show that insect richness was the best predictor of variation in total ASU, and that insect richness was proportionally greater at high-diversity sites. In addition, insects used a broad range of frequencies, including high frequencies (\>8000 Hz), which contributed to greater ASU. This novel approach for analyzing the presence and acoustic activity of multiple taxonomic groups contributes to our understanding of ecological community dynamics and provides a useful tool for monitoring species in the context of restoration ecology, climate change and conservation biology.

}, keywords = {amphibians, ARBIMON, Biodiversity monitoring, birds, community ecology, insects, passive acoustic monitoring, rapid assessments, soundscapes, species richness}, doi = {10.3390/rs9111096}, url = {http://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/9/11/1096}, author = {T. Mitchell Aide and Hern{\'a}ndez-Serna, Andres and Campos-Cerqueira, Marconi and Acevedo-Charry, Orlando and Jessica L. Deichmann} } @article {47961, title = {Effects of lifetime exposure to artificial light at night on cricket ( Teleogryllus commodus ) courtship and mating behaviour}, journal = {Animal Behaviour}, volume = {129}, year = {2017}, month = {Jan-07-2017}, pages = {181 - 188}, abstract = {

Increasing evidence suggests that key fitness-related behaviours of animals related to courtship and mating may be disrupted by anthropogenic stressors, including artificial light at night (i.e. light produced from anthropogenic sources). Despite its ubiquity in urban habitats, we currently know very little about how artificial night lighting affects the reproductive behaviours of most animals. Our study examined the effects of chronic (lifetime) exposure to one of four ecologically relevant intensities of artificial light at night (0, 1, 10 or 100 lx at night) on courtship and mating behaviours and acoustic sexual signalling in a common nocturnal and crepuscular insect, the Australian black field cricket, Teleogryllus commodus. We found that lifetime exposure to brighter (10e100 lx) artificial light at night affected some aspects of courtship and mating behaviour: it influenced mate choice and mating efficiency in a sex-specific manner, but did not affect the multivariate structure of male courtship calls. Our results suggest that chronic exposure to bright light at night may affect some aspects of mate choice and reproductive behaviour in this common insect, and warrants further study across taxa.

}, keywords = {anthropogenic, bioacoustics, insects, light pollution, reproductive behaviour}, issn = {00033472}, doi = {10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.05.020}, url = {http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0003347217301574}, author = {Botha, L. Michael and Jones, Ther{\'e}sa M. and Hopkins, Gareth R.} } @article {47886, title = {A new species of tree crickets Oecanthus (Orthoptera, Gryllidae, Oecanthinae) in tobacco plantation from Southern Brazil, with body color variation}, journal = {Zootaxa}, volume = {4018}, year = {2015}, month = {Mar-09-2016}, pages = {266}, abstract = {

We provide herein a description of a new species of Oecanthus collected from the tobacco plantation in southern Brazil, municipality of São Lourenço do Sul, State of Rio Grande do Sul. Description focused metanotal gland features, phallic sclerites, and calling song. A large sampling of individuals was distributed into four groups according to body and appendages color and dotted. We also rank all kind of marks present in the scape and pedicel. We compare linear morphometric variables of the metanotal glands and tegmina, as well as calling song parameters between groups in order do define all of them as the same species. Photographs and measurements are provided.

}, keywords = {bioacoustics, Ensifera, insects, metanotal gland, taxonomy}, issn = {1175-5326}, doi = {10.11646/zootaxa.4018.210.11646/zootaxa.4018.2.6}, url = {http://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/issue/view/zootaxa.4018.2}, author = {Milach Elisa Machado and Luciano de P. Martins and Maria K{\'a}tia Matiotti Da Costa and Marco Silva Gottschalk and Gabriel Lobregat de Oliveira and Red{\"u}, Darlan Rutz and Neytzling, Alexandre Schneid and Vasconcellos, Lucas Avezedo and Zefa, Edison} } @article {47616, title = {Maintaining acoustic communication at a cocktail party: heterospecific masking noise improves signal detection through frequency separation}, journal = {Journal of Experimental Biology}, volume = {216}, year = {2013}, month = {Oct-24-20132050}, pages = {4655 - 4665}, abstract = {

We examined acoustic masking in a chirping katydid species of the Mecopoda elongata complex due to interference with a sympatric Mecopoda species where males produce continuous trills at high amplitudes. Frequency spectra of both calling songs range from 1 to 80 kHz; the chirper species has more energy in a narrow frequency band at 2 kHz and above 40 kHz. Behaviourally, chirper males successfully phase-locked their chirps to playbacks of conspecific chirps under masking conditions at signal-to- noise ratios (SNRs) of \−8 dB. After the 2 kHz band in the chirp had been equalised to the level in the masking trill, the breakdown of phase-locked synchrony occurred at a SNR of +7 dB. The remarkable receiver performance is partially mirrored in the selective response of a first-order auditory interneuron (TN1) to conspecific chirps under these masking conditions. However, the selective response is only maintained for a stimulus including the 2 kHz component, although this frequency band has no influence on the unmasked TN1 response. Remarkably, the addition of masking noise at 65 dB sound pressure level (SPL) to threshold response levels of TN1 for pure tones of 2 kHz enhanced the sensitivity of the response by 10 dB. Thus, the spectral dissimilarity between masker and signal at a rather low frequency appears to be of crucial importance for the ability of the chirping species to communicate under strong masking by the trilling species. We discuss the possible properties underlying the cellular/synaptic mechanisms of the \‘novelty detector\’.

}, keywords = {ambient noise, auditory interneuron, insects, katydid, novelty detection, selective encoding}, issn = {0022-0949}, doi = {10.1242/jeb.089888}, url = {http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/doi/10.1242/jeb.089888https://syndication.highwire.org/content/doi/10.1242/jeb.089888}, author = {Siegert, M. E. and Heiner R{\"o}mer and Hartbauer, M.} } @article {47331, title = {Contribution to the taxonomy of Gryllus Linnaeus, 1758 in South America: Part I: Redescription of Gryllus argentinus Saussure, 1874 (Orthoptera, Grylloidea, Gryllidae)}, journal = {Entomological Science}, volume = {14}, year = {2011}, month = {Jan-01-2011}, pages = {87 - 93}, abstract = {

The genus Gryllus includes 82 described species that occur in America from Canada to Argentina as well as in several areas of Africa, Europe and Asia. There are 12 species in South America, which were described in the nineteenth century based on a small number of samples and inconsistent characters such as body coloration and external morphology. The aim of this article is to redescribe Gryllus argentinus Saussure, 1874 collected in the urban areas of Pelotas, Cap\ão do Le\ão and Rio Grande, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil, highlighting phallic sclerites, calling song and body morphometry. We designate the lectotype male, provide a combination of diagnostic characteristics and discuss the taxonomic situation of South American Gryllus species.

}, keywords = {bioacoustics, Brazil, cricket, genitalia, insects, pars stridens}, doi = {10.1111/ens.2011.14.issue-110.1111/j.1479-8298.2010.00412.x}, url = {http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/ens.2011.14.issue-1}, author = {Luciano de P. Martins and Zefa, Edison} } @article {47313, title = {No phenotypic signature of acoustic competition in songs of a tropical cricket assemblage}, journal = {Behavioral Ecology}, volume = {27}, year = {2016}, month = {Jul-01-20162017}, pages = {211 - 218}, abstract = {

Efficient acoustic communication in multispecies assemblages is challenging due to the presence of heterospecific signals. Masking
interference and signal confusion of similarly structured signals can impose fitness costs and, thus, drive evolutionary processes that
shape acoustic signals to reduce their overlap in signal space. Although the partitioning of signal space has been frequently studied
in frog and bird communities, this topic has received much less attention with reference to insects that communicate acoustically. In
this study, we examined the role of acoustic competition in a tropical cricket community and tested the following hypotheses: 1) cosig-
naling\  species\  are\  expected\  to\  exhibit\  more\  dissimilar\  calling\  songs\  as\  compared\  with\  species\  that\  are\  spatially\  and/or\  temporally\ 
separated\  and\  2)\  species\  signaling\  with\  similar\  song\  frequencies,\  who\  are\  thereby\  subject\  to\  energetic\  masking,\  are\  more\  likely\  to\ 
differ\  in\  the\  temporal\  domain\  of\  their\  calling\  songs.\  Using\  non-metric\  multidimensional\  scaling\  and\  pairwise\  comparison\  methods\  to\ 
measure\  acoustic\  dissimilarity,\  we\  found\  no\  evidence\  for\  either\  hypothesis:\  the\  acoustic\  signals\  of\  species\  pairs\  that\  cosignaled\  or\ 
used similar calling frequencies did not significantly differ from those of species that were spatially/temporally segregated or had large
song frequency differences. In conclusion, for the acoustically communicating cricket community investigated, no supportive evidence
for the partitioning hypothesis and the widespread belief that acoustic competition has led to divergent selection pressures on signal
structure to avoid masking interference was found. Instead, we argue that selection pressures on sensory/neuronal mechanisms seem
to more strongly drive reliable communication.

}, keywords = {acoustic assemblages, acoustic masking interference, acoustic communication, insects, signal divergence, signal space partitioning}, issn = {1045-2249}, doi = {10.1093/beheco/arv141}, url = {https://academic.oup.com/beheco/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/beheco/arv141https://academic.oup.com/beheco/article/27/1/211/1744419/No-phenotypic-signature-of-acoustic-competition-in}, author = {Riede, Klaus} } @article {20904, title = {Evolutionary diversification of the auditory organ sensilla in Neoconocephalus katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) correlates with acoustic signal diversification over phylogenetic relatedness and life history}, journal = {Journal of Evolutionary Biology}, year = {2017}, month = {Jan-03-2017}, abstract = {

Neoconocephalus tettigoniids are a model for the evolution of acoustic signals as male calls have diversified in temporal structure during the radiation of the genus. Tettigoniidae have hearing organs in the forelegs with species-specific numbers of auditory sensilla in a linear crista acustica. We investigated changes of the hearing organs during an evolutionary radiation with divergence of intraspecific acoustic signals. We compared the neuroanatomy of the crista acustica from 9 Neoconocephalus species with different temporal call features, life histories, and from different phylogenetic positions. Average numbers of auditory sensilla were species-specific, ranging between 32\–35 sensilla. It is likely under sexual selection for detection of male calls and natural selection for detection of bat calls. We found statistically significant differences in sensillum numbers among species, but no relationship of crista acustica length or sensillum number with phylogenetic position or life history. Statistically significant correlations existed with call patterns: species with slow pulse rates had significantly higher numbers of auditory sensilla and a longer crista acustica. Further, species with a derived double-pulsed calls had longer cristae, and continuous callers had a higher number of auditory sensilla. Correlations with crista length were stronger than with the number of auditory sensilla. The hearing organs show considerable diversity between species despite their recent divergence and morphological and ecological similarities. Thus, they have the potential to respond to various selective pressures, including divergence of temporal and spectral signal properties. Phylogenetic constraints are unlikely to limit the evolutionary change of the auditory systems.

}, keywords = {hearing organ, insects, radiation, sensory evolution, sexual selection, signal evolution, tympanal organ}, doi = {10.1111/jeb.13066}, url = {http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/jeb.13066}, author = {Strau{\ss}, Johannes and Alt, Joscha A. and Ekschmitt, Klemens and Schul, Johannes and Lakes-Harlan, Reinhard} } @article {17274, title = {New species of Endecous (Grylloidea, Phalangopsidae, Luzarinae) from the Igua{\c c}u National Park (Brazil), including bioacoustics, cytogenetic and distribution data}, journal = {Zootaxa}, volume = {4237}, year = {2017}, month = {Jan-03-2017}, pages = {454}, abstract = {

In this study we describe two new species of cavicolous-straminicolous crickets for southern Brazil. Endecous chape n. sp. and E. naipi n. sp. are sympatric crickets that inhabit the Atlantic Semideciduous Forest of the Igua\çu National Park and adjacent areas. The descriptions were based on morphological characters, mainly from male genitalia and tegmina of adult males. Furthermore, we describe the chromosomes and the calling song of one of the new species, E. chape n. sp., presenting a discussion about the morphology of the phallic complex of Endecous and a distribution map for the species of the genus. The type-material is deposited in the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de S\ão Paulo (MZSP), and in the Cole\ç\ão de Insetos do Departamento de Zoologia (Zoology Department Insect Collection), Universidade Estadual Paulista\—UNESP\—Botucatu campus.

}, keywords = {calling song, chromosomes, cricket, insects, Orthoptera, taxonomy}, issn = {1175-5326}, doi = {10.11646/zootaxa.4237.310.11646/zootaxa.4237.3.2}, url = {http://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/issue/view/zootaxa.4237.3}, author = {Pedro G. B. Souza-Dias and Neucir Szinwelski and Marcos Fianco and Elliott Centeno de Oliveira and Francisco de A.G. de Mello and Zefa, Edison} } @article {17213, title = {The neuromuscular mechanism of stridulation in crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae).}, journal = {Journal of Experimental Biology}, volume = {45}, year = {1966}, month = {1966 Aug}, pages = {151-64}, abstract = {

Study of the insect neuromuscular system appears very promising as a means of
explaining behaviour in terms of cellular operation. The relatively small number of
neurons, the ganglionic nature of the nervous system, the simplicity of the neuro-
muscular arrangement, and the repetitiveness of behavioural sequences all lend them-
selves to a solution of this problem. As a result, an increasing number of investigators
have been turning their attention to insects and especially to the large orthopterans.
Recently, Ewing \& Hoyle (1965) and Huber (1965) reported on muscle activity
underlying sound production in crickets. The acoustic behaviour is well understood
(Alexander, 1961) and in the genera Gryllus, Acheta and Gryllodes communication is
mediated by three basic songs composed of three types of pulses. While working
independently on this system at the University of Cologne (W.K.) and the University
of Michigan (D.B.) using various Gryllus species, we found a number of basic
differences between the muscle activity in our crickets and that reported by Ewing
\& Hoyle (1965) for Acheta domesticus. These two genera, Gryllus and Acheta, are so
nearly identical that they are distinguished solely by differences in the male genitalia
(Chopard, 1961). The present paper constitutes a survey of muscle activity patterns
producing stridulation in four species of field crickets. Since the work of the two
authors was carried out independently, non-overlapping experiments will be initialled
to indicate the investigator.

}, keywords = {Animals, Electrophysiology, insects, muscles, neuromuscular junction, sound}, issn = {0022-0949}, author = {Bentley, D R and Kutsch, W} }