While thought to be widely used for animal communication, substrate-borne vibration is relatively unexplored compared to other modes of communication. Substrate-borne vibrations are important for mating decisions in many orthopteran species, yet substrate-borne vibration has not been documented in the Pacific field cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus . Male T. oceanicus use wing stridulation to produce airborne calling songs to attract females and courtship songs to entice females to mate. A new male morph has been discovered, purring crickets, which produce much quieter airborne calling and courtship songs than typical males. Purring males are largely protected from a deadly acoustically orienting parasitoid fly, and they are still able to attract female crickets for mating though typical calling song is more effective for attracting mates. Here, we document the first record of substrate-borne vibration in both typical and purring male morphs of T. oceanicus . We used a paired microphone and accelerometer to simultaneously record airborne and substrate-borne sounds produced during one-on-one courtship trials in the field. Both typical and purring males produced substrate-borne vibrations during courtship that temporally matched the airborne acoustic signal, suggesting that the same mechanism (wing movement) produces both sounds. As previously established, in the airborne channel, purring males produce lower amplitude but higher peak frequency songs than typical males. In the vibrational channel, purring crickets produce songs that are higher in peak frequency than typical males, but there is no difference in amplitude between morphs. Because louder songs (airborne) are preferred by females in this species, the lack of difference in amplitude between morphs in the substrate-borne channel could have implications for mating decisions. This work lays the groundwork for investigating variation in substrate-borne vibrations in T. oceanicus , intended and unintended receiver responses to these vibrations, and the evolution of substrate-borne vibrations over time in conjunction with rapid evolutionary shifts in the airborne acoustic signal.
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Vibratory Signaling in Japanese Rhinoceros Beetles
Japanese Rhinoceros beetles (Trypoxylus dichotomous), known primarily for their large horns, are a classic example of ornate weaponry produced through sexual selection. The male beetle’s prominent horns are used in male-to-male combat for dominance and access to females. Observations in the lab and the field suggest that multiple forms of signaling are also involved in both the aggressive interactions and female mate choice. One such signal seems to be the songs created through male abdominal stridulation. Males perform both an alarm-style chirp (also seen in aggressive interactions) and rhythmic “purring” prior to copulation attempts. Several questions arise in relation to this behavior and its effect on mating outcomes: Is there a relationship between song characteristics and morphological characteristics? Can vibrations be transmitted through the surrounding substrate? Is there a relationship between song characteristics and courtship outcomes? To analyze these songs in the field, a Polytech VibroGo VG-200 laser vibrometer was used to measure the velocity of both the male’s elytra and surrounding tree bark during courtship. Vibrational amplitude and periodicity, corresponding location, beetle characteristics, and courtship details were collected. Male courtship song characteristics will be compared to morphological variables, as well as courtship outcomes. Substrate vibration transmission and attenuation will also be discussed.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2016125
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10510581
- Publisher / Repository:
- Oxford University Press
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Integrative and comparative biology
- ISSN:
- 1540-7063
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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