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A series of courtship chirps in a pleasing fungus beetle Dacne picta [abstract]

E. Ohya (2002). A series of courtship chirps in a pleasing fungus beetle Dacne picta [abstract]. Bioacoustics, Volume 13 (1): 91 -92

 

Abstract: 

Dacne picta are small beetles that dwell and feed on wood rotting mushrooms such as shiitake Lentinus edodes. They are attracted by the mushroom's odour and crawl around the roundish mushroom to encounter each other. lmmediately after a male recognises a female by touching, he starts chirping and tries to mount her. He keeps chirping during copulation and if the female uncouples at this time, he pursues the departing female while chirping. These pre-copulation, copulation, and post-copulation chirpings sounded different from each other. Pre-copulation chirps may serve as sexual isolation and sexual selection for females. This song can also enhance her sexual receptivity. During copulation, the song may keep her quiet so that the sperm can transfer. Post-copulatory song may function as a sort of mate-guarding behaviour which stops female from being remated, thus preventing sperm replacement.

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