ABSTRACT
A new subspecies of Lithoxenus haptapotamicus minutus Korsunovskaya subsp. nov. and new color form of Eulithoxenus mongolicus caeruleum are described. Data concerning the male calling song of L. miramae (Velt.) and the structure of the sound apparatus of Eulithoxenus mongolicus Uv.and L. miramae is provided for the first time.
Subject(s)
Orthoptera , Male , Animals , Animal DistributionABSTRACT
Continuation of the discussion on the sensitivity of the chordotonal sensilla of the tympanal organ of bush-crickets to vibratory stimuli. We have previously shown that individual receptors registered directly in the tympanal organ perceive vibrations along with sound stimuli. In addition, scolopidia of the crista acustica possess mixed sensitivity, too, as well as receptors of the intermediate organ. The authors of the comment offered their opinion concerning our applied methods as well as our obtained results. In particular, they noted the dissimilarity of our data from the previously obtained data (the 1970s-1990s), mainly in the laboratory of Prof. K. Kalmring, who assumed that only low-frequency receptors, in particular receptors of the intermediate organ, possess mixed sensitivity. At the same time, receptor activity was recorded in the tympanal nerve without morphological identification of receptors (with the exception of one stained neuron in the prothoracic ganglion). We carried out a series of experiments using the method of K. Kalmring and found that it is possible to register several receptors in the tympanal nerve with different reactions during one experiment: to sound only, also both to vibration stimuli and sound. In the latter case, we dealt with low-threshold receptors, which responded to ultrasound, and this with high probability belonged to the crista acustica. Similar data were previously obtained on the bush-cricket Decticus verrucivorus. In this publication, we explain the methodological features of our work and suggest that the loss of sensitivity to vibrations at the level of the tympanal nerve by some auditory receptors may be due to the ephaptic and/or chemical interaction of the tympanal organ receptors with vibroreceptors of the subgenual or other organs. To verify this hypothesis, it is necessary to conduct additional studies, such as physiological, morphological, and immunohistochemical, along the entire vibroacoustic afferent tract, that is, from the peripheral part to the first switches to the corresponding interneurons.
Subject(s)
Gryllidae , Animals , Gryllidae/anatomy & histology , Gryllidae/physiology , Acoustic StimulationABSTRACT
The males of Mexican katydids Nesoecia nigrispina (Stal, 1873) produce calling songs and protest sounds using the typical stridulatory apparatus, situated, as in most of the other Ensifera, at the bases of the tegmina. It includes a stridulatory file on the upper tegmen and a plectrum on the lower one. The calling sounds, which are of two types (fast and slow), are two-syllabic series, with a repetition rate fluctuate within 3-4.5 s-1 (fast) and 1.2-2 s-1 (slow). After tactile stimulation, males produce protest signals in the form of short trills of uniform syllable duration. The syllable repetition rate is higher than that of the calling sounds: 7.7 s-1. The frequency spectra of these signals have maxima in the band of 14-15 kHz. However, in addition to the sounds described, both males and females are capable of producing protest signals of the second type, with the help of another sound apparatus, namely the hind wings. Apparently, the sound is produced by the friction of the hind wings on the lower tegmen. The dominant frequencies in the frequency spectra of these sounds are 40-60 kHz. In adults of both sexes and older nymphs, in response mainly to tactile stimulation, short clicks are recorded, which they produce, apparently, by the mandibles. Thus, N. nigrispina seems to have the most extensive acoustic repertoire among pseudophyllines and three means of emitting sound signals. Tremulatory substrate-borne vibrations are produced by individuals of both sexes during courtship and by males completing the calling signal cycle and after copulation. It is possible that vibrational signals are an additional factor in the reproductive isolation of sympatric species, since the calling sound signals in representatives of the genus Nesoecia are similar and exhibit considerable variability. The type and parameters of the calling signal used by the female during recognizing a conspecific mate remain unclear.
Subject(s)
Orthoptera , Vibration , Humans , Male , Animals , Female , Sound , Orthoptera/physiology , Acoustics , Wings, Animal/physiologyABSTRACT
Bush-crickets (or katydids) of the genus Mecopoda are relatively large insects well-known for their sounds for centuries. Bioacoustic studies in India and China revealed a surprisingly large diversity of sound patterns. We extend these studies into the tropics of South East Asia using integrative taxonomy, combining song analysis, morphology of sound producing organs and male genitalia as well as chromosomes, to get a better understanding of the phylogeny and evolution of this widespread group. Besides the closely related genus Eumecopoda, the genus Mecopoda contains some isolated species and a large group of species which we assign to the Mecopoda elongata group. Some species of this group have broad tegmina and stridulatory files with different tooth spacing patterns and produce continuous, often relatively complicated, trill-like songs. The species of another subgroup with narrower wings have all similar files. Their songs consist of echemes (groups of syllables) which differ in syllable number and syllable repetition rate and also in echeme repetition rate. Our results show that South East Asia harbours a large and certainly not yet fully explored number of Mecopoda species which are most easily and clearly identified by song. Based on the data, five new forms are described: Mecopoda mahindai Heller sp. nov., Mecopoda paucidens Ingrisch, Su Heller sp. nov., Mecopoda sismondoi Heller sp. nov., Mecopoda niponensis vietnamica Heller Korsunovskaya subsp. nov., Eumecopoda cyrtoscelis zhantievi Heller subsp. nov. In addition, some taxonomic changes are proposed: Eumecopoda Hebard, 1922 stat. rev., Paramecopoda Gorochov, 2020, syn. nov. of Eumecopoda Hebard, 1922, Mecopoda javana (Johansson, 1763) stat. nov. (neotype selected) with M. javana minahasa Gorochov, 2020 stat. nov., M. javana darevskyi Gorochov, 2020 stat. nov., M. javana buru Gorochov, 2020 stat. nov., Mecopoda macassariensis (Haan, 1843) stat. rev., Mecopoda ampla malayensis Gorochov, 2020 syn. nov., Mecopada ampla javaensis Gorochov, 2020 syn. nov., Mecopoda fallax aequatorialis Gorochov, 2020 syn. nov., the last three are all synonyms of Mecopoda himalaya Liu, 2020, Mecopoda yunnana Liu 2020, stat. nov.
Subject(s)
Orthoptera , Animal Distribution , Animal Structures , Animals , Chromosomes , Insecta , Male , Organ Size , Orthoptera/geneticsABSTRACT
The tettigoniid subfamily Phyllophorinae, distributed in Southeast Asia and Australia, is poorly known. Our study of the biology of Giant Katydid Siliquofera grandis (Blanchard, 1853) from a laboratory culture has shown that these insects mate more than once, the females lay a total of up to 400 eggs during their life, and these hatch after 2-2.5 months. The life cycle from egg to death takes longer than one year. In the laboratory, the insects fed mainly on leaves of various Rosaceae, Ficus, and lettuce, and on fruits. It is known that the males of hooded katydids lack the tegminal stridulatory apparatus typical for Tettigoniidae, but are capable of producing protest sounds using their coxosternal sound-producing organs for stridulation. Here, protest stridulation of the males and females and the sound-producing organs used to produce it have been analyzed in Phyllophorina kotoshoensis Shiraki, 1930 and S. grandis. In addition, nymphal protest sounds produced by friction of the metafemur against the edge of the pronotum and adult protest signals produced with the wings are described. In S. grandis, vibratory signals have been described and studied for the first time: territorial, protest, drumming and rhythmic low-amplitude vibrations emitted by adults and nymphs and pre- and postcopulatory vibrations of the males and females. The territorial signals not accompanied with visible movements of the body may be produced by contracting the antagonist muscles of the thorax and possibly of the legs. Using their coxosternal sound-producing organs males of S. grandis produced also an audible courtship song lasting for several seconds. Acoustic signals may thus both regulate intrapopulation relations and serve for interspecific communication (protest signals). The acoustic communication in Phyllophorinae is probably especially important during mating behavior.
Subject(s)
Orthoptera , Acoustics , Animals , Female , Insecta , Male , Wings, AnimalABSTRACT
Acoustic communication plays an important role in the life of insects and especially in representatives of the order Orthoptera. Their vibrational signalling, unlike signalling by sound, is poorly studied. The pygmy grasshoppers Tetrix tenuicornis (Sahlberg, 1891) belonging to the ancestral family Tetrigidae (Orthoptera) can produce several types of substrate-borne vibratory signals using their mid-legs. The emission of these signals is not accompanied by visible movements of any parts of the body. The goal of our study was to elucidate the mechanism of production of these vibrations. For this, we synchronously recorded the vibratory signals and the muscle activity in various regions of the legs and thorax in freely moving males. The obtained results revealed an unusual mechanism for the emission of acoustic signals. We found that the strongest muscle activity during the emission of the vibratory signals was recorded in the mesofemur and mesotibia. According to the position of the electrode, these muscles are the flexor and extensor of the tibia, levators and depressors of the tarsus, and probably pretarsus. The motor system employed during the emission of vibratory signals was most similar to that of the jump of locusts and probably is performed as a result of co-contraction of antagonistic muscles of the tibia, tarsus, and pretarsus. The data obtained make significant additions to the presentation of a variety of insect acoustic communication systems.
Subject(s)
Animal Communication , Grasshoppers/physiology , Vibration , Animals , MaleABSTRACT
To find a mate, male and female bush-crickets of the family Phaneropteridae typically engage in duets. The male sings and the female responds. For mutual recognition, the amplitude pattern of the male song and the species-specific timing of the female response have been shown to be very important. In the seven studied species, belonging to the genera Leptophyes and Andreiniimon, these duets are extremely fast and nearly completely in the ultrasonic range. The females produce very short sounds by fast closing movements of the tegmina. They respond with species-specific delays of 20 to 150 ms after the beginning of the male song. The different latency times are probably not important for species recognition, since in sympatric species they are quite similar.
ABSTRACT
Montana medvedevi is reported for the first time from Serbia. New information about the distribution, morphology and song of this species is discussed. The song of M. medvedevi is different from that of all other members of the genus, all figured for comparison. Montana is quite diverse regarding the amplitude pattern of the calling song of its members (known in 15 species). Surprisingly, some Montana species seem to have two song patterns, one produced during the day and one at night.
