01884nas a2200121 4500008004100000245010200041210006900143260001600212520144500228100001901673700002101692856004901713 2017 eng d00aThe reproductive strategy and the vibrational duet of the leafhopper Empoasca vitis Göthe0 areproductive strategy and the vibrational duet of the leafhopper cJan-03-20173 a

The recent description of a new vibrational mating disruption method to control the leafhopper Scaphoideus titanus Ball opened questions about its possible application to other leafhopper pests. Since the prerequisite for the method's successful application is a deep knowledge of the species mating behavior and the exact role of associated signals, we conducted behavioral assays on the green leafhopper Empoasca vitis Göthe, a pest of grapevine and other crops in Europe and Asia. Laser vibrometer recordings of single and paired individuals (male and female) during a 24-hour period enabled us to detect and describe two male and one female signal. The pair formation starts when the female replies to a male call and a duet is established, then it continues through two different behavioral stages: Location and Courtship. The proper courtship begins only when the male locates the female. The latter is characterized by a significant change in temporal parameters that regards both the signals and the duet structure. Although the male calling activity and the female replying rate were the same during the 24 hours, a lower number of matings was recorded during the night. We discuss the possible role of vision and of the species ecology as factors of reproductive success and mating strategy. Our conclusion is that the mechanical mating disruption technique seems feasible for future application to this species.

1 aNieri, Rachele1 aMazzoni, Valerio uhttp://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/1744-7917.1245401936nas a2200169 4500008004100000022001400041245008400055210006900139520139000208100001901598700002001617700001901637700001601656700001801672700002101690856005501711 2015 eng d a0892-755300aSubstrate-Borne Vibrational Signals in Mating Communication of Macrolophus Bugs0 aSubstrateBorne Vibrational Signals in Mating Communication of Ma3 aThe mirid bugs Macrolophus pygmaeus and M. costalis use substrate-borne vibrational signals during pair formation and in male-male interactions as determined by laser vibrometry. The vibrational communication of Macrolophus is more complex than in other mirids, with a signal repertoire composed of two elements, only produced by males, while the females are mute. The "yelp" signal consists of one or several consecutive brief pulses with harmonic structure and is commonly produced by stationary males before mating, as a key-element of courtship. "Yelping" is also associated with contacts between males. The "roar" signal differs from "yelps" in that it has a broadband frequency pattern, a longer and more variable duration than "yelping", and is produced by males in association with walking on the leaf. Playback experiments did not affect male vibration emission, but when "roaring" was used as stimulus, it elicited a significant increase in the time spent walking. We detected significant differences between M. costalis and M. pygmaeus in some spectral parameters of the "roar" and "yelp" signals, so these signals could contain species-specific information. We conclude that "roaring" and "yelping" vibrational signals are used by Macrolophus in social communication, in particular in the context of mating behavior.1 aGemeno, César1 aBaldo, Giordana1 aNieri, Rachele1 aValls, Joan1 aAlomar, Oscar1 aMazzoni, Valerio uhttp://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10905-015-9518-0