Song as a possible isolating mechanism in the genus Homorocoryphus (Tettigonioidea, Orthoptera)

The songs of four species of the genus Homorocoryphus have been recorded in the field in the central region of Uganda. The songs differed in their syllable repetition rates. The effect of artificially produced songs, bearing a close resemblance to the natural song but with a variable repetition rate, has been tested on the activity levels of virgin females of two of the species. It was found that the females responded to the species specific repetition rate. Songs of each of the four species were tested against females of the species H. flavovirens, where a species specific response was established. The implications of the syllable repetition rate and the carrier frequency in this genus was discussed and a possible role in reproductive isolation was postulated.