Oedaleus australis

(i) Pair Formation
No crepitation flights were observed. However, the wings of both males and females are banded with black and yellow, which suggests that flight displays occur.

(ii) Courtship
Only three courtship sequences were observed (all in the laboratory). In one sequence a male performed four ticking movements while approaching the female, then, moments later, mounted and attached his genitalia. In two other sequences males performed only femur-tipping as they approached females; one male mounted and attached, the other attempted to mount but was rejected. During tipping the upstroke is slower than the downstroke and the tibiae are held tightly against the femora.

(iii) Agonistic Behaviour
Males tipped and shook their femora in agonistic contexts. Tipping seems to be similar to that in courtship (at least superficially). Femur-shaking with wing- rubbing was by far the most prevalent agonistic behaviour performed when males touched or were very close to one another. Sometimes agonistic interactions were prolonged with males alternating in producing bursts of femur-shaking. As in Ch, terminifera, a vibratory sound is produced (Fig. 4), but the rate of shaking is much slower than in that species. Males also jerked their femora, kicked out with their hind tibiae, and raised the femora to vertical when touched by other males.

Females rejected males by fleeing, tipping, shaking (both silently and with wing-striking) and jerking the femora, and by raising the femora to vertical. [1]

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