You are here

Tuning of green stink bug substrate-borne songs with the transmission properties of host plants [abstract]

A. Cokl, N. Stritih and M. Virant-Doberlet (2002). Tuning of green stink bug substrate-borne songs with the transmission properties of host plants [abstract]. Bioacoustics, Volume 13 (1): 102

 

Abstract: 

Male and female Nezera viridula communicate in their premating period by substrate-borne calling, courtship and rival songs. The dominant and basic frequency peak of all their songs lies between 96 and 150 Hz, higher harmonics do not exceed 500 Hz, Q10dB ranges from 1.5 to 3.2 and intensity measured at the back of a singing animal lies between 10-3 and 10-4 m/s. Songs are characterized by two types of subunits: short FM pulses are exchanged with longer narrow band ones. Within the song, both FM and narrow band pulses appear either as a sequence of single units or are grouped into pulse trains which contain one or both types of them. Songs of the green stink bug are transmitted in different host plants with different efficiency. Plants like Cyperus alternifolius enable vibrational communication over distances of several meters. By transmission through the Cyperus stem the amplitude of narrow band pulses oscillates between 6 dB amplification and 5 do attenuation; their spectral and temporal structure is less altered. On the other hand, the short FM pulses are transmitted in Cyperus stem with less attenuation and lower level of amplitude oscillation but their temporal and spectral characteristics vary significantly at different points. Due to different transmission in plants, short FM pulses probably carry information about presence and location and the narrow band ones about the sex and species of calling or courting partner.

Categories: