SPECIES-SPECIFIC SOUNDS IN WATER BUGS OF THE GENUS MICRONECTA. PART 2, CHORUSING

ABSTRACT

Although chorusing behaviour has been reported previously in six species of corixid water bugs, including one European species of Micronecta, no analysis of chorusing has been published for Micronecta. Studies of a large pond in SE Australia show that chorusing occurred in the most common species of Micronecta in the study area, M. concordia. Pulse-trains synchronized with those of other individuals nearby were the predominant acoustic output of M. concordia males throughout the stridulating season, from mid-winter to mid-summer. At the start of the season, chorusing began with an exponential increase in the percentage of synchronized signals over a period of six days.     

ACOUSTIC COMMUNICATION AND MATING BEHAVIOUR IN WATER BUGS OF THE GENUS MICRONECTA

ABSTRACT

The role of male sounds in attracting females and in mating was investigated in the three most common species of Micronecta found in ponds 60 km NE of Melbourne, Australia: M. concordia, M. tasmanica and M. robusta. In playback experiments using recorded male signals, females were attracted to signals of conspecific males, in preference to signals of heterospecific sympatric males. Studies of mating behaviour, using video recording, showed that signals were obligatory for mating. These findings strongly suggest that acoustic signalling is important in reproductive isolation in Micronecta. Comparisons between matings and rejected matings showed that, within each species, copulation only occurred following a certain minimum number of acoustic signals with more pulse-trains than the mean for the species. Low amplitude sounds (after signals) were also important in courtship, immediately preceding mating. No sounds occurred during copulation.     

XIVth SYMPOSIUM OF THE INTERNATIONAL BIOACOUSTICS COUNCIL

ABSTRACT

This is the first reported study of corixid water bugs examining whether all species of a genus in one locality can be distinguished by their sounds. More extensive analysis than has been reported for any corixids revealed that, although some species are difficult to distinguish morphologically, inter-species sound differences are very clear.

The sounds of all nine species of Micronecta in the study area near Melbourne, Australia were recorded. Male sounds were recorded in the laboratory, over a minimum water temperature range of 15 to 25°C. Females do not produce sounds. Signals consisted of groups of pulse-trains, except for one species with signals of usually one pulse-train. Signals were species-specific; pulse-train rate alone was sufficient to distinguish between species. There were also species differences in other signal parameters. Males also produced clicks (single pulse-trains) and low-amplitude sounds; there were some species differences in the latter. Similar signals occurred between only one pair of species, which were from different habitats (ponds and rivers). Pulse periods and pulse-train periods were negatively correlated with temperature, with curves of best fit being quadratic. Five species were also recorded in ponds; the sounds and effect of temperature were compared with laboratory recordings.