Drumming signals within the family Taeniopterygidae (Plecoptera)

Abstract

Drumming signals of the 11 species of Palaearctic Taeniopterygidae are described for the first time based on the study of populations from nine different European countries from Spain to Russia. In this way, a contribution is made to our knowledge of the constancy respectively the divergence of signals typical for the species distributed over a very wide area. Communication patterns of the family under varying temperatures were analysed. The dependence on temperature indicates that the adults of this family are cold stenothermic insects. Within the genus Brachyptera (Newport, 1851), the call signal of males is significantly different from their response signal (duration and drumming frequency). The marked modulation of the drumming frequency, e.g., of B. risi (Morton, 1896) and B. seticornis (Klapálek, 1902) is reached by a modulation of the amplitude of abdominal movements. Based on the study of the drumming signals, Taeniopteryx auberti (Kis and Sowa, 1964) is proposed as a subspecies of T. hubaulti (Aubert, 1946). Actual intensity of the drumming signals of T. auberti was measured. Taeniopteryx hubaulti is recorded for the first time outside the Alps.