Auditory characteristics and sexual dimorphism in the gypsy moth

Cardone, Beatrice; Fullard, James H.

doi:10.1111/j.1365-3032.1988.tb00903.x

Cited by 62 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Where there is sexual dimorphism in flight ability (flightless females, flight-capable males), males are at greater risk of bat predation, and females have less sensitive ears than males (Cardone and Fullard, 1988;Rydell et al, 1997). Interestingly, this relationship is also found in mantids (Yager, 1990).…”

Section: Nocturnal Activity Levelmentioning

confidence: 61%

Evolutionary escalation: the bat–moth arms race

Hofstede

Ratcliffe

2016

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Echolocation in bats and high-frequency hearing in their insect prey make bats and insects an ideal system for studying the sensory ecology and neuroethology of predator-prey interactions. Here, we review the evolutionary history of bats and eared insects, focusing on the insect order Lepidoptera, and consider the evidence for antipredator adaptations and predator counter-adaptations. Ears evolved in a remarkable number of body locations across insects, with the original selection pressure for ears differing between groups. Although cause and effect are difficult to determine, correlations between hearing and life history strategies in moths provide evidence for how these two variables influence each other. We consider life history variables such as size, sex, circadian and seasonal activity patterns, geographic range and the composition of sympatric bat communities. We also review hypotheses on the neural basis for antipredator behaviours (such as evasive flight and sound production) in moths. It is assumed that these prey adaptations would select for counter-adaptations in predatory bats. We suggest two levels of support for classifying bat traits as counter-adaptations: traits that allow bats to eat more eared prey than expected based on their availability in the environment provide a low level of support for counter-adaptations, whereas traits that have no other plausible explanation for their origination and maintenance than capturing defended prey constitute a high level of support. Specific predator counter-adaptations include calling at frequencies outside the sensitivity range of most eared prey, changing the pattern and frequency of echolocation calls during prey pursuit, and quiet, or 'stealth', echolocation.

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Section: Nocturnal Activity Levelmentioning

confidence: 61%

Evolutionary escalation: the bat–moth arms race

Hofstede

Ratcliffe

2016

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…In some hearing species flight is restricted to one gender, and sensitivity to ultrasound is reduced in the non-flying gender, e.g. moths (Cardone and Fullard, 1988) and mantises (Yager, 1990). These observations suggest that sensitivity to ultrasound is closely linked to flight physiologically, as well as evolutionarily.…”

mentioning

confidence: 71%

“…Female gypsy moths do not fly, whereas males do. Thresholds of auditory receptor neurons to ultrasonic frequencies are up to 20·dB higher in females than in males (Cardone and Fullard, 1988), despite any obvious difference in ear anatomy. In many mantis species only males fly, and ultrasound sensitivity of females, measured at the interneuron level, is reduced or absent (Yager, 1990).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Flight and hearing: ultrasound sensitivity differs between flight-capable and flight-incapable morphs of a wing-dimorphic cricket species

Pollack

Martins

2007

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Predation by echolocating bats has been an important selective pressure on insects, favoring the evolution of ultrasound-sensitive ears (Hoy, 1992;Jones and Rydell, 2003). Aerially hawking bats emit ultrasonic probes and detect flying insect prey by the echoes that return from their bodies. In some hearing species flight is restricted to one gender, and sensitivity to ultrasound is reduced in the non-flying gender, e.g. moths (Cardone and Fullard, 1988) and mantises (Yager, 1990). These observations suggest that sensitivity to ultrasound is closely linked to flight physiologically, as well as evolutionarily.Many cricket species are flight dimorphic, occurring both as long-winged and short-winged forms (Zera, 2004;Roff and Fairbairn, 2007). The long-winged form is initially capable of flight, but individuals may lose this ability when flight muscles undergo histolysis, which becomes increasingly probable with advancing adult age (Shiga et al., 1991). The short-winged form is incapable of flight throughout life. Unlike the cases cited above, in flight-dimorphic crickets the risk of bat predation varies within a single gender and, for long-winged crickets, within a single individual. Moreover, crickets use hearing not only to detect bats but also, in a lower range of frequencies, for intraspecific communication (Moiseff et al., 1978). We compare auditory sensitivity between flightcapable and flight-incapable forms of the cricket Gryllus texensis, both to ultrasonic stimuli and to the sonic frequency of intraspecific signals. We find, using both behavioral and neurophysiological measures, that sensitivity to ultrasound, but not to low sound frequencies, varies according to the ability to fly. Our findings suggest that ultrasound sensitivity is one of a suite of developmental and physiological phenotypes that are linked to flight, and thus to the risk of predation by aerially hawking bats. Materials and methodsAnimals Gryllus texensis (Cade and Otte) were reared in the laboratory at 25-28°, on a 12·h:12·h photoperiod, with ad libidum access to Purina TM Cat Chow and water. Under these conditions, approximately half the males develop as long-winged, and half as short-winged individuals. The frequency of short-winged females is much lower, approximately 10%. We studied males aged 7-21 days after the final molt. Both long-and short-winged males were selected from the same cohorts, the adult ages of which were known to within 1 week. Thus, both wing morphs were represented approximately equally over the entire range of ages. Experiments were performed during the animals' scotophase. Sound stimuliStimuli were produced by National Instruments (Austin, TX, USA) digital-to-analog boards (AT-MIO 16E4, 12-bit resolution or PCI-6251, 16-bit) with sampling rate of 100·kHz. Sound level (r.m.s. of a constant tone with the same peak amplitude as actual stimuli) was adjusted by a programmable attenuator (PA4, Tucker-Davis, Alachua, FL, USA or 50P-076, JFW Industries, Indianapolis, IN, USA) and calibrated with Bruël and Kjaer instrum...

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“…(1978), and, since the ears are responsive, Cardone & Fullard (1988) concluded that there must be a central nervous decoupling of the motor (behavioural) output from the sensory input. However, our results from the geometrids lead to the opposite conclusion, namely that the evasive behaviour persists as long as there is any remaining hearing ability.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hearing and bat defence in geometrid winter moths

Rydell¹,

Skals

Surlykke

et al. 1997

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B

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SUMMARYAudiograms and behavioural responses to ultrasound reveal that male geometrid winter moths (Agriopis and Erannis spp. ; Ennominae, and Alsophila aescularia ; Oenochrominae), which have large wings and a slow flight, have good, broadly tuned ultrasonic hearing with best frequencies at 25-40 kHz, coinciding with the frequencies used by most sympatric aerial-hawking bats. Ultrasonic pulses (27 kHz 110 dB at 1 m) delivered at distances of 1-12 m evoked consistent reactions of free flying, male A. marginaria in the lab as well as in the field ; those at 5 m resulted in the moth spiralling or diving towards the ground, those at 5-12 m resulted in one or several changes in the flight path, but did not end on the ground. The differential reaction probably reflects whether the moth is likely to have been detected by the bat or not. The micropterous (and flightless), and hence cryptic, females have strongly reduced tympanic organs and are virtually deaf. Sexual dimorphism in hearing and behavioural reactions to ultrasound reflect differential natural selection on males and females by bats. Natural selection on the hearing of the males thus seems to occur although they fly in late autumn and early spring, when bat activity is much reduced.

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Auditory characteristics and sexual dimorphism in the gypsy moth

Cited by 62 publications

References 17 publications

Evolutionary escalation: the bat–moth arms race

Evolutionary escalation: the bat–moth arms race

Flight and hearing: ultrasound sensitivity differs between flight-capable and flight-incapable morphs of a wing-dimorphic cricket species

Hearing and bat defence in geometrid winter moths

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