Vibrational communication in insects

Signals of different modalities are involved in the behaviour of the green stink bug, Nezara viridula (L.) (Pentatomidae, Heteroptera). Long range attraction is mediated by male pheromones, resulting in aggregation of bugs on the same plant where vibratory signals, vision and various chemical signals become important. Both males and females sing spontaneously. When both are on the plant, males start vibratory communication as often as females. Females induce the exchange of vibratory signals spontaneously or triggered by the male pheromone while males initiate the duet either spontaneously or after seeing the female. Males and females sing spontaneously and respond to signals of different modalities more often in the daylight than in the dark. Long lasting autonomous emission of the female calling song is present when triggered by the male pheromone and males respond to female calling predominantly by the emission of the courtship song.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of signals of different modalities in initiating vibratory communication in Nezara viridula

Zgonik

Čokl

2013

“…When tapping onto the substrate with their abdomen, insects produce 'pulses' of substrate vibrations, a mechanism called percussion [23]. 'Pulses' are defined as 'unitary homogenous parcels of vibrations of finite duration' [24].…”

Section: Signal Analysis and Statisticsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Percussion signals of Lygus rugulipennis Poppius (Heteroptera: Miridae)

Koczor

Čokl

2014

Self Cite

The European tarnished plant bug (Lygus rugulipennis Poppius) is among the most serious pests in the family Miridae, and therefore there is increasing interest in understanding the behaviour of this species. In the present study, laboratory recordings were taken using a laser vibrometer on adult males and females to ascertain whether acoustic signals are involved in intraspecific communication. Recordings were both carried out on plant and loudspeaker membrane substrates. Males and females emitted vibratory signals and the present results indicate that these signals are important during courtship. The basic signal characteristics measured were the dominant frequency, pulse duration, repetition time and number of pulses per group within the signal. Male and female signals did not differ in respect to any of these characteristics. Plant recorded signals were longer because of different mechanical properties of substrates. Additionally, the high frequency components were attenuated due to the low-pass filtering properties of plants. As this is the first study on vibratory communication of the European tarnished plant bug, we believe these findings may contribute considerably to the better understanding of the mating behavior of this important pest species.

“…Palomena prasina is interesting for the study of vibrational communication within the family Pentatomidae, because its host range appears to be limited to woody plants, unlike the better known N. viridula, whose vibrational communication is commonly used as a model for the whole family [12]. Nezara viridula is extremely polyphagous and not limited to any type of plant substrate.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Polajnar¹,

Kavčič

Kosi

et al. 2013

Palomena prasina is interesting for the study of vibrational communication within the Pentatomid subfamily Pentatominae, because its host range is limited to woody plants, unlike the better known Nezara viridula, whose vibrational communication is commonly used as a model for the whole family. The vibrational repertoire of P. prasina was described several decades ago and is redescribed in this paper using modern methods for non-contact vibration recording. Additionally, we hypothesized that this species has retained the capacity for signal frequency variation necessary for tuning to resonance properties of various host plants of Pentatominae, but if the signals are emited in the absence of mechanical feedback, they are tuned more specifically to their native acoustic environment — woody plants. By recording live bugs signalling on different substrates and comparing spectral properties of their signals among substrates, we found that there is a match between the signals emitted on a woody branch and those emitted on a non-resonant surface, while spectral properties of signals emitted on herbaceous plants differ. Our findings provide evidence in support of the signal tuning hypothesis and shed further light on the crucial role of substrate in vibrational communication of insects.