Chapter 262 - Vibrational Communication

Abstract

This chapter presents vibratory mechanisms, structures, and signals in relation to behavior. Insects communicate by mechanical signals propagating through a medium as near- or far-field airborne sound, substrate vibrations, underwater sound, and/or water surface vibration. Vibrational signaling through substrate is most commonly used whether counted by species, family or phylogenetic distribution. Insects produce vibratory signals by percussion, vibration of the body or its part, tymbal mechanisms, or stridulation. Percussion is common because of the hard exoskeleton, which enables either percussion of two body parts or striking against a substrate. The percussive structures are in most cases relatively simple. Book lice (Psocoptera) and stoneflies (Plecoptera) tap their abdomens against the substrate, Orthoptera use their legs, and termites and beetles drum with their heads. Tremulatory signals are produced by an insect with legs kept firmly on the substrate and jerky movement of the whole body without touching the substrate. In meadow katydids, larger males produce tremulatory signals with shorter inter-pulse intervals; females prefer sequences with shorter inter-pulse intervals indicating that tremulatory signals encode information on body size. Low-frequency signals can be emitted also by vibration of some body parts. The most sensitive and specialized receptor for substrate vibrations, the subgenual organ, is derived evolutionarily from chordotonal organs in the body and appendage joints. It has been found in all Pterygote insects, except Coleoptera and Diptera.