@article {58380, title = {Bioacoustics of poorly known Poecilimon taxa (Insecta: Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) with redescriptions of P. pechevi and P. stschelkanovzevi}, journal = {Zootaxa}, volume = {4890}, year = {2020}, month = {Apr-12-2020}, pages = {535 - 553}, abstract = {

The genus Poecilimon has been object of several studies dealing with its systematics, sound communication and evolution. Yet, published data contradict in the classification, while many taxa are still insufficiently known. In the present study we supplement the knowledge of 13 poorly known species and one additional subspecies with data on their sound communication and/or morphology. Most species concerned here are classified within two acoustic groups. First group includes P. celebi, P. obtusicercus and P. toros, showing typical characteristics of the P. syriacus group. Second group is more heterogeneous. Among that, P. pechevi, P. armeniacus, P. harveyi, P. guichardi, P. haydari, P. doga, P. davisi and P. excisus present a song pattern similar to that of P. ampliatus. In addition, P. ataturki is also quite similar in basic song structure to the latter but differs in its fine song structure. Poecilimon stschelkanovzevi, with unclear relationships, is described morphologically in detail. The present study provides hints for solving some disagreement between recent revisions, proposing unification of the Poecilimon celebi with P. syriacus group and opening discussion based on close relationships of the groups ampliatus, armeniacus, davisi, luschani and the species P. guichardi on one hand, while the complex P. ataturki/glandifer shows significant differences on the other. The acoustic peculiarities of the ampliatus group allies are discussed in an evolutionary light.

}, keywords = {Barbitistini, bush-cricket, morphology, sound communication, sound production}, issn = {1175-5326}, doi = {10.11646/zootaxa.4890.410.11646/zootaxa.4890.4.6}, url = {https://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/issue/view/zootaxa.4890.4https://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.4890.4.6https://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/viewFile/65904/64346}, author = {Dragan Petrov Chobanov and Sevgili, Hasan and Klaus-Gerhard Heller} } @article {58355, title = {Squeaking caterpillars: independent evolution of sonic defense in wild silkmoths}, year = {2020}, doi = {10.1002/ecy.3112}, url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ecy.3112}, author = {Sugiura, Shinji and Takanashi, Takuma and Kojima, Wataru and Kajiura, Zenta} } @article {58314, title = {Mate Choice Behavior of Female Field Crickets Is Not Affected by Exposure to Heterospecific Calling Songs}, journal = {Environmental Entomology}, year = {2020}, month = {Sep-04-2020}, abstract = {

Many animals produce acoustic signals to mark territories and attract mates. When different species produce acoustic signals simultaneously, the signals create a noisy environment, with potential acoustic interference between species. Theoretical studies suggest that such reproductive interference may have strong effects on species interaction. For example, the inferior resource competitor can survive if its disadvantage is counterbalanced by superiority in reproductive interference. Two field cricket species, Teleogryllus occipitalis (Audinet-Serville) (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) and Loxoblemmus equestris Saussure (Orthoptera: Gryllidae), cooccur in the same habitat. A previous study has shown that L. equestris is an inferior species to T. occipitalis in terms of resource competition. Therefore, we predicted that mate location and choice behavior of female T. occipitalis would be negatively affected by the acoustic signals of L. equestris and tested this with a series of playback experiments. The mate choice behavior of female T. occipitalis was not significantly affected by the calling song of L. equestris. Our results suggest that the acoustic interference does not explain the cooccurrence of the two species in the same habitat.

}, keywords = {acoustic communication, calling song, interspecific competition, Orthoptera, species interaction}, issn = {0046-225X}, doi = {10.1093/ee/nvaa034}, url = {https://academic.oup.com/ee/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ee/nvaa034/5818179}, author = {Kuriwada, Takashi and Kawasaki, Rintaro and Kuwano, Akifumi and Reddy, Gadi V P}, editor = {Ginzel, Matthew} } @article {58192, title = {Gryllotalpa weisei Simeu-Noutchom \& Kekeunou sp. nov. and the first record of Gryllotalpa microptera (Chopard 1939) (Orthoptera, Gryllotalpidae) from Cameroon with redescription of the species}, year = {2020}, abstract = {

Gryllotalpa weisei Simeu-Noutchom \& Kekeunou sp. nov. was collected only in Tombel in the South-West region of Cameroon, during a survey conducted from March 2016 to March 2018 in the West, South-West and Centre regions of Cameroon. This species is close to Gryllotalpa microptera, collected for the first time in Cameroon during these investigations, only in the West region. G. weisei is different from G. microptera due to the hind wings that are vestigial; average fore wings length of 5.85\±0.56 mm in male and 5.34\±0.45 mm in female, not reaching the fifth abdominal segment; anal end of fore wings slightly concave; a stridulatory file with 54\±8.02 teeth (47\–71) in average, fairly spaced, with an average of 30\±5.06 teeth per millimeter; hind tibia bearing 11 spines; internal process of ectophallus quite short. G. weisei abounds in mixed crop fields, followed by cocoa agro-forests; it is scarce in grassy fallows and in forest undergrowth. G. microptera was present in all types of vegetations in Bafoussam, Babet\é and Bangoulap in the West region where it has been abundant in mixed crop fields, grass-fallow and coffee agro-forest but rare in forest undergrowth.

}, keywords = {ecology, Mole cricket, new species, Orthoptera, taxonomy, Tombel}, doi = {10.11646/zootaxa.4763.110.11646/zootaxa.4763.1.5}, url = {https://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/issue/view/zootaxa.4763.1https://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.4763.1.5https://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/viewFile/61010/60629}, author = {SIMEU-NOUTCHOM, ALAIN and KEKEUNOU, SEVILOR and WANDJI, ALAIN CHRISTEL and NZIKE, MARCELLE MBADJOUN and NGOUTE, CHARLY OUMAROU and MESSI, NADEGE BRIGITTE MBEZELE and TAMESSE, JOSEPH LEBEL} } @article {58188, title = {The call of the squeak beetle: bioacoustics of Hygrobia hermanni (Fabricius, 1775) revisited (Coleoptera: Hygrobiidae)}, year = {2020}, abstract = {

Hygrobiidae, or squeak beetles, originated in the Triassic-Jurassic and exhibit a relictual distribution in the Palaearctic, Oriental and Australasian regions. Hygrobiids are well known for their sound-producing abilities, although studies of their bioacoustics remain limited. Here we describe sound producing organs and bioacoustics of the Palaearctic Hygrobia hermanni (Fabricius, 1775). Plectra and pars stridens were examined in both sexes, and sound characteristics analysed. Despite small differences between male and female last abdominal ventrites, plectra were identical. Pars stridens, however, differed subtly, tooth ridges being wider in females. Calls of both sexes were harmonic, with peak frequency at 6.1\ kHz, and secondary peak at 10.9\ kHz; males exhibiting longer inter-chirp intervals. Calls changed with time in the laboratory, this possibly condition-related effect being more apparent in males. The differences found between sexes suggest that sound production in squeak beetles may function in intraspecific communication, in addition to being an antipredator device.

}, keywords = {bioacoustics, Hygrobia hermanni, pars stridens, squeak beetle, stridulation}, doi = {10.1080/01650424.2020.1726963}, url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01650424.2020.1726963https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/01650424.2020.1726963}, author = {Blair, Jordan and Bilton, David T.} } @article {58174, title = {Association between Acoustic Signals and Body Color Dimorphism in a Katydid Gampsocleis sedakovii obscura (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae)}, journal = {Journal of Entomological Science}, volume = {55}, year = {2020}, month = {Jan-04-2020}, pages = {199}, abstract = {

Body color dimorphism is a common phenomenon in a wide range of insect taxa. In Gampsocleis sedakovii obscura (Walker), the two morphs are green and brown. In order to explore the variation within the same species with different body color phenotypes, morphology, genetics, and male calling songs were compared within Gampsocleis from Inner Mongolia, China. Recordings of the male calling songs were compared based on the acoustic variables including pulse duration, pulse interval, dominant frequency, highest frequency, and lowest frequency. This analysis was combined with sequencing of mitochondrial DNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and cytochrome c oxidase subunit II and examination of morphological traits to perform cluster analyses. The morphological and the mitochondrial genetic analyses revealed no differences between green and brown morphs, but the acoustic analysis showed completely different male calling between the morphs, thus suggesting that there is a connection between acoustic signals and body color dimorphism in G. s. obscura. These findings also revealed that the acoustic variation with body color dimorphism could provide evidence for insect acoustic signal divergence and the process of subspeciation, even speciation.

}, keywords = {acoustic signals, body color dimorphism, Gampsocleis sedakovii obscura}, doi = {10.18474/0749-8004-55.2.199}, url = {https://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-entomological-science/volume-55/issue-2/0749-8004-55.2.199/Association-between-Acoustic-Signals-and-Body-Color-Dimorphism-in-a/10.18474/0749-8004-55.2.199.full}, author = {Chen, Qi and Zhang, Xue and Li, Jiaxin and Zhou, Haifeng and Wen, Ming and Wang, Yinliang and Ren, Bingzhong} } @article {58168, title = {First data on Cicadas of Kefalonia, Greece (Hemiptera: Cicadidae), including bioacoustics}, year = {2020}, abstract = {

No cicada records for the Greek Ion- ian island of Kefalonia existed so far. The fauna of singing cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of Kefalonia island (Cephalonia) has been investigated on the field excursions in 2010, 2016 and 2018 with classic and bioacoustic methods, using recording equipment for sonic range and ultrasonic detectors. We discovered 5 species: Lyristes plebejus (Scopoli, 1763), Cicada orni Linnaeus, 1758, Cicadatra atra (Olivier, 1790), Dimis- salna dimissa (Hagen, 1856), and Tettigettula pygmea (Olivier, 1790).

}, keywords = {bioacoustics, Cicadidae, fauna, Greece, Hemiptera, Kefalonia Island, singing cicadas}, author = {Tomi Trilar and Matija Gogala and Francesca Graziani and Filippo Ceccolini and Fabio Cianferoni} } @article {58084, title = {Dung beetle distress signals may be correlated with sex and male morph: a case study on Copris lunaris (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae, Coprini)}, year = {2020}, abstract = {

Insect sounds are predominantly produced by stridulations, where specialised body parts contact repeatedly to induce acoustic pulse trains. We studied the stridulatory organ and sound emissions in Copris lunaris, by focussing separately on females, and on major and minor males. Results highlighted an isometric growth of pars stridens in response to body size, and identified a wing-pygidium locking structure that assists sound emission. Sex-specific acoustic differences of some degree were detected between major males and females, as sounds emitted by majors showed higher frequencies and shorter pulses with elevated impulse rates. This cannot be immediately explained by size differences in the components of stridulatory apparatus. Rather, divergence might be an indicator of some underlying behavioural difference in response to distressing events. In minor males, acoustic properties overlapped with both females and major males, although incomplete stridulations had a lower ratio in minor than major males. This paper provides the very first perspective of the potential role of sex and male polymorphism on sound production. However, future categorisations of sounds coupled to behavioural observations of specific interactions are needed to reveal the function of sex and morph-specific differences.

}, keywords = {bioacoustics, dung beetles, elytro-abdominal stridulatory organ, male dimorphism, pars stridens, plectrum}, doi = {10.1080/09524622.2019.1710255}, url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09524622.2019.1710255https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09524622.2019.1710255}, author = {Kerman, Kaan and Roggero, Angela and Piccini, Irene and Rolando, Antonio and Palestrini, Claudia} } @article {58071, title = {Tainacanthus ferox, a remarkable new genus and species of katydids from the high mountains of Hispaniola (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Pseudophyllinae: Polyancistrini)}, year = {2020}, abstract = {

The new genus and species of Polyancistrini katydids Tainacanthus ferox gen. nov., sp. nov. is described from specimens collected in the highest mountains of the Dominican Republic, island of Hispaniola. This is the third genus of Polyancistrini known from Hispaniola and the seventh genus of the tribe. Tainacanthus is distinctive due to the unique architecture of its pronotum, which is a large and bulbous shield with an extended metazona that covers and protects the stridulatory apparatus surrounded by a relatively small number of large and sharp spines. Additionally, all legs are armed with larger and more robust spines than those of Polyancistrus Audinet-Serville, 1831, its most likely closest relative. Tainacanthus inhabits the highest mountains of the Dominican Cordillera Central at over 2,400 m above sea level, living among hard-leaf evergreen vegetation interspersed with pine forests. The type locality is included within the Armando Berm\údez National Park, one of the most important protected areas in the Dominican Republic.

}, keywords = {biodiversity, distribution, Greater Antilles, taxonomy, Tettigonioidea, West Indies}, doi = {10.33800/nc.vi1510.33800/nc.vi15.213}, url = {http://novitatescaribaea.do/index.php/novitates/issue/view/18}, author = {Perez-Gelabert, Daniel E.} } @article {58047, title = {Phonotactic steering and representation of directional information in the ascending auditory pathway of a cricket}, year = {2020}, abstract = {

Directional hearing is crucial for animals depending on acoustic signals to locate a mate. We focused on crickets to explore the reliability of directional information forwarded to the brain by the ascending auditory interneuron AN1, which is crucial for phonotactic behavior. We presented calling song from -45\° to +45\° in steps of 3\°, and compared the phonotactic steering of females walking on a trackball with the directional responses of AN1. 40\% of females showed good steering behavior and changed their walking direction when the speaker passed the body\´s longitudinal axis. The bilateral latency difference between right and left AN1 responses was small and may not be reliable for auditory steering. In respect to spike count, all AN1 recordings presented significant bilateral differences for angles larger than \±18\°, yet 35\% showed a mean significant difference of 1-3 AP/Chirp when the frontal stimulus deviated by 3\° from their length axis. For small angles some females had a very similar AN1 activity forwarded to the brain, but the accuracy of their steering behavior was substantially different. Our results indicate a correlation between directional steering and the response strength of AN1, especially for large angles. The reliable steering of animals at small angles would have to be based on small bilateral differences of AN1 activity, if AN1 is the only source providing directional information. We discuss if such bilateral response difference at small angles can provide a reliable measure to generate auditory steering commands descending from the brain, as pattern recognition is intensity independent.

}, keywords = {AN1 interneuron, binaural differences, reliability, spike response, surface electrodes}, doi = {10.1152/jn.00737.2019}, url = {https://www.physiology.org/doi/10.1152/jn.00737.2019https://www.physiology.org/doi/pdf/10.1152/jn.00737.2019}, author = {Lv, Mingyue and Zhang, Xinyang and Hedwig, Berthold} } @article {58045, title = {First natural history observations of the canyon pygmy mole cricket, Ellipes monticolus (Orthoptera: Tridactylidae)}, year = {2020}, abstract = {

The first live photos of the canyon pygmy mole cricket, Ellipes monticolus G\ünther, are presented, with preliminary observations on the habitat\ and behavior of populations in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona. The species was previously known solely from the original description in 1977, which included only drawings of the structure of the genitalia and almost no natural history information. This paper provides the first look at this species\’ biology and provides a framework for future studies on Tridactylidae of the southwestern United States.

}, keywords = {Arizona, Caelifera, Chiricahua Mountains, photographs, Sky Islands, Tridactylinae}, doi = {10.3897/jor.29.33413}, author = {Woo, Brandon} }