Reproductive behaviour and vibratory communication of the neotropical predatory stink bugPodisus nigrispinus

Abstract

Vibratory communication during reproductive behaviour is less well described in predatory (Asopinae) than in phytophagous (Pentatominae) stink bugs. Different steps in the mating behaviour of the predatory stink bug Podisus nigrispinus (Dallas) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae; Asopinae) are described in the present study, together with vibratory signals emitted on artificial and natural substrate during courtship and copulation. Vibratory signals in Podisus nigrispinus have a decisive role in copulation success and are produced in both sexes by abdominal vibration and tremulation. In P. nigrispinus, one species-specific female and two male songs, which do not show the calling function typically found in phytophagous stink bugs, are produced by abdominal vibration and are emitted during reproductive behaviour. Additionally, P. nigrispinus produces tremulatory signals that have no species or sex specificity. Tremulatory signals emitted spontaneously on a plant as a sequence of readily repeated pulses are similar to the calling songs of the Pentatominae stink bug. These signals may carry information on the presence of a mate; however, in other behavioural contexts, they may have a different function, such as advertisement or even alarm signals. Plants transmit vibratory signals produced by both mechanisms as a low-pass filter, increasing the amount of low-frequency components. The results of the present study raise important questions about the interaction between chemical and vibratory signals in the mating behaviour of predatory stink bugs.

Stink Bug Communication with Multimodal Signals Transmitted through Air and Substrate

“…Spectra of abdomen vibration signals in Asopinae species A. custos, T. luridus, Z. caerulea [80], P. bidens [80,82], P. maculiventris [51] and P. nigrispinus [81] differ by their broad-band characteristics and different dominant frequency values measured for the same song type [83]. The first dominant frequency of the male song of P. maculiventris varies between 90 and 140 Hz [51] and in P. bidens between 75 and 250 Hz [82].…”

“…), Troilus luridus (Fabr.) and Zicrona caerulea (L.) [80], Podisus maculiventris (Recimo) [51], Podisus nigrispinus (Dallas) [81] and Picromerus bidens (L.) [80,82].…”

“…During mating behavior stink bugs also produce less species-specific vibratory signals by tremulation of the whole body, vibration of lifted wings (buzzing) and by percussion. Tremulatory signals are produced by vigorous shaking of the whole body parallel to the substrate, with legs firmly standing on it [51,81,82]. Tremulatory signals produced in Pentatominae [45] and Asopinae [81] share common amplitude, temporal and frequency characteristics.…”

“…Tremulatory signals are produced by vigorous shaking of the whole body parallel to the substrate, with legs firmly standing on it [51,81,82]. Tremulatory signals produced in Pentatominae [45] and Asopinae [81] share common amplitude, temporal and frequency characteristics. The characteristic plant-recorded tremulatory signals of amplitudes up to 5 mm/s, duration below 0.5 s and irregular repetition rate are composed of a short, high frequency onset followed by the longer low frequency tail with the decaying amplitude resembling plant resonance.…”

Stink Bugs (Pentatomidae)

“…One of the most common species in the Neotropical Region, P. nigrispinus has been found attacking several pest insects (De Clercq 2000 ). Several studies has been carried out regarding the biology, predation potential in different agroecosystems, and rearing methods of this species, also known as the Brazilian soldier spined bug (De Clercq 2000 ;Vivan et al 2003 ;Lemos et al 2003, De Medeiros et al 2004Sousa-Souto et al 2006 ;Torres et al 2006 ;Neves et al 2009 ;Rodrigues et al 2009 ;De Bortoli et al 2011 ;Soares et al 2011 ;Laumann et al 2013 ;Vacari et al 2013 ). The genus Supputius include three species, and S. cincticeps can be recognized by rostral segment II as long as III and IV combined, apex of scutellum concolorous with the disk and abdominal tubercle strongly produced, reaching between metacoxae (Thomas 1992 ).…”