The effect of vibratory disturbance on sexual behaviour of the southern green stink bug Nezara viridula (Heteroptera, Pentatomidae)

Abstract

The effect of vibratory disturbance on sexual behaviour and substrate-borne sound communication of the southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula L. was studied. Disturbance signals do not change the time N. viridula males need to locate the source of vibratory signals, but decrease the number of males responding with the calling and courtship song to calling females. Female N. viridula proceed calling during stimulation with disturbance signals but some of them change the song rhythm by skipping one or more signal intervals or emitting the repelling signals. The number of females which change the dominant frequency of the calling song decreases proportionally with increasing differences between the dominant frequency of the disturbance signals and the emitted female calling song. Variation of the song dominant frequency probably serves females to avoid interference by increasing the signal to noise ratio. Signal duration and repetition rate do not change significantly when the female is stimulated with the disturbance signals. This indicates that frequency shift by calling females is the main strategy for reducing interference by competitive signalers in N. viridula vibrational communication.

Predatory bug Picromerus bidens communicates at different frequency levels

“…Such differentiation of different songs on the basis of different frequencies is a plausible hypothesis but needs confirmation. A similar effect was demonstrated in N. viridula females, which were found to shift the dominant frequency of their calling songs within the 70 to 130 Hz range to reduce interference from competitive signallers [16].…”

“…Here, we also test the hypothesis that the spectra, and particularly the frequency characteristics, of rival signals for P. bidens change due to the physical parameters of the substrate and the position of the singing insect relative to the vibration sensor [15]. Such changes may represent a strategy to reduce interference by competitive signallers, as was shown recently with the phytophagous stink bug Nezara viridula L. (Pentatomidae: Pentatominae) [16].…”

Palomena prasina (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) vibratory signals and their tuning with plant substrates

“…Data from several related and sympatric species show that the dominant frequency of signals can vary by a factor of 2 [4], which is reflected by the receiver's preference [16]. Individual animals can also rapidly respond to changes in their acoustic environment, such as onset of noise, by modifying the frequency of their vibratory emission during a signalling bout [17]. We hypothesized that the more specialized, but closely related P. prasina has retained the capacity for frequency variation, but that the animals' signalling behavior has adapted ("tuned") to their native acoustic environment.…”

Search behaviour of two hemipteran species using vibrational communication

“…One partner (male in this case) identifies another one (the female) via the temporal pattern of her continuously emitted calling song and locates her on the plant [19][20][21][22]. Second, male vibrational signals do not trigger female calling [21], while females emit their calling song continuously with stable signal repetition rate for several minutes in the absence of male vibrational signals [23,24]. Emission of female vibrational signals is triggered by male sex pheromone [23] and the female calling song, in turn, triggers the emission of male courtship song [17] and searching behaviour [19].…”