Percussion signals of Lygus rugulipennis Poppius (Heteroptera: Miridae)

The European tarnished plant bug (Lygus rugulipennis Poppius) is among the most serious pests in the family Miridae, and therefore there is increasing interest in understanding the behaviour of this species. In the present study, laboratory recordings were taken using a laser vibrometer on adult males and females to ascertain whether acoustic signals are involved in intraspecific communication. Recordings were both carried out on plant and loudspeaker membrane substrates. Males and females emitted vibratory signals and the present results indicate that these signals are important during courtship. The basic signal characteristics measured were the dominant frequency, pulse duration, repetition time and number of pulses per group within the signal. Male and female signals did not differ in respect to any of these characteristics. Plant recorded signals were longer because of different mechanical properties of substrates. Additionally, the high frequency components were attenuated due to the low-pass filtering properties of plants. As this is the first study on vibratory communication of the European tarnished plant bug, we believe these findings may contribute considerably to the better understanding of the mating behavior of this important pest species.