Tettigoniidae Research Articles

Comparison of the mating behaviour of a bush cricket in the laboratory and the field: Calling activity and mating frequency of a long-winged species, Phaneroptera falcata (Ensifera: Tettigoniidae)

Bush crickets are a model group for testing hypotheses in sexual selection, but much of the information is based on labora - tory observations on wingless or short-winged species, which may restrict their generality. Here we describe aspects of the mating be- haviour of the long-winged e uropean bush cricket Phaneroptera falcata (Poda, 1761). Both in the laboratory and the field, diel calling followed a normal, though slightly left-skewed distribution, peaking about three hours after sunset or lights-off. u nder bright green- house conditions, when the light was suddenly switched off, calling occurred only after the onset of darkness. Decreasing light intensity may trigger the start of calling activity. i n the field, calling decreased from midnight onwards, which may be related to a decrease in temperature. The sequence of events during copulation was identical in the laboratory and the field. h owever, in two of 14 copulations documented in the field, a pre-copulatory behaviour was observed that resembled the putative removal and ingestion of rival sperm. Previous suggestions that P. falcata (Poda) is monogamous are rejected on the basis of both laboratory and field results. i n the labora- tory males and females mated every 2.3 and 3.6 days, respectively. We introduce a simple way to calculate the average frequency of mating in the field, based on the observation that at any one time 3% of all the individuals are recorded mating and copulation lasts 15 min. We estimate that on average P. falcata (Poda) mates once per day. More generally, our results show it is important for evolutionary conclusions to measure behaviourial data in the field.

Comparison of the mating behaviour of a bush cricket in the laboratory and the field: Calling activity and mating frequency of a long-winged species, Phaneroptera falcata (Ensifera: Tettigoniidae)

Comparison of the mating behaviour of a bush cricket in the laboratory and the field: Calling activity and mating frequency of a long-winged species, Phaneroptera falcata (Ensifera: Tettigoniidae)

What is the state of play? The Grasshopper's game replayed

In Aesop’s fable, the industrious ant works hard to stockpile food for the forthcoming winter whereas the improvident grasshopper spends all summer singing and so dies for lack of food when winter comes. Philosopher Bernard Suits appears to turn this cautionary tale on its head in his seminal work ‘The Grasshopper: Games, Life and Utopia’ (originally published in 1978 and reissued in 2005). His Grasshopper playfully engages disciples Skepticus and Prudence in a Socratic dialogue to address a number of riddles. One of these takes up most of the inner section of the book and is a riposte to Wittgenstein’s (1958) assertion that the concept of games cannot be defined. But that’s not all the book is about. Not only does it propose and defend a definition of games that can meet analytical philosophy’s requirement of necessary and sufficient conditions, it also considers the value of playing games – indeed, it seems to suggest that game-playing is the ultimate human good, the only thing that makes life worth living. Yet this presents a paradox. If, in Utopia, there is no need to work because everything is provided, then all that remains is playing games. However, this eventually becomes unsatisfactory so people begin to do unnecessary things that previously had instrumental value but are now carried out for their own sake (like building houses or solving scientific problems). This is the final riddle, according to Kolers (2014): perhaps it is not that the good life consists in playing games, but that it is the life that is itself a game. These riddles and paradoxes turn on the question of value. In this piece, and with deep and sincere apologies to Suits, I appropriate his play frame and rearrange it in a way to suit the issue at hand: the state of play. Here, the interlocutors are descendants of the originals: KATYDID (a particularly noisy bush cricket) and two disciples: PRAGMATICUS (a play campaigner and practical realist) and LUTROTES (a leading light in the Save Children’s Play campaign). Glossing over the issue of defining play (for reasons that emerge), it explores the contradictions inherent in discussing play’s value and ends with a riddle that readers may or may not wish to attempt to solve.

On the compilation and edition of Guang si xu zhi (Instructions for Improving Fertility)

During the reign of Wanli Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Hu Wenhuan combined, deleted and polished some contents of Cai Longyang's Zhong si ji (Collection for Improving Fertility Like a Katydid) and Yu Qiao's Guang si yao yu (Important Guides for Improving Fertility), to compile a new book, Guang si xu zhi (Instructions for Improving Fertility) included in his two block-printed series, Bai jia ming shu (Famous Books of Hundreds Scholars) and Ge zhi cong shu (Series of Studying Essence of Things). From Zhong si ji to Guang si xu zhi, since both the title and exact contents were all changed, the latter has better to be considered as a new book, and the title of which should be "Compiling by Hu Wenhuan". All extant editions of Guang si xu zhi are derived from his series versions or its hand-written copies from the series.

Lack of correlation between vertical distribution and carrier frequency, and preference for open spaces in arboreal katydids that use extreme ultrasound, in Gorgona, Colombia (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae)

Male Tettigoniidae emit sound to attract conspecific females. The sound is produced by stridulation. During stridulation the forewings open and close, but it is during the closing stroke that the scraper contacts the file teeth to generate the predominant sound components, which are amplified by adjacent wing cells specialized in sound radiation. The sounds usually exceed the sonic boundary and might occur above 40 kHz, reaching extreme ultrasonic frequencies of 150kHz in some species. Here we test the hypothesis that Tettigoniidae species should prefer microhabitats that favour efficient signal transmission, i.e. that there is a relationship of sound frequency with the vertical distribution of the species (from ground to canopy) at Gorgona National Natural Park, Colombia. We sampled 16 trees and four different altitudinal levels between 1 and 20m above the understory vegetation. We placed collecting blankets separated by vertical distances of 5m, and knocked insects down using the technique known as fogging. We found no correlation between vertical distribution and carrier frequency, but there was a preference for open spaces (below the canopy and above the understory) in species using extreme ultrasound. This is the first quantitative description of the vertical distribution in neotropical species of the family Tettigoniidae and its relationship to the calling song frequency. Rev. Biol. Trop. 62 (Suppl. 1): 289-296. Epub 2014 February 01.

Orthopteran (insect)diversity from Haveli and Maval Tahasil of the Pune District, Maharashtra, India

In the present paper 20 species belonging to 5 superfamilies’, 5 families and 15 subfamilies and 20 genera are reported. The study was carried out between June 2011 to April 2012 in Haveli and Maval tahasil of Pune district, Maharashtra, India. The order Orthoptera is divided in to two suborder viz Caelifera and Ensifera. The suborder Caelifera includes short horned grasshopper, locust and grouse locust however, Ensifera includes longhorned grasshopper, katydids, cricket and mole cricket.

Contrasting patterns of macroptery in Roesel’s bush cricketMetrioptera roeselii(Orthoptera, Ensifera)

We studied the wing dimorphism in Roesel's bush cricket populations. A total of 410 individuals (77 macropterous and 333 brachypterous) were sampled in seven sites. We found a high frequency (≤ 53%) of macropterous individuals in some meadows surrounded by forests. We measured the body weight, thorax weight, and abdomen weight in connection with macroptery vs brachyptery. We could find a positive correlation between macroptery and thorax weight. The abdomen weight of females showed high individual variation; thus the supposed trade-off between macroptery and lower fertility of females was not supported.

Annotated list of Tettigoniidae (Orthoptera) from the East Usambara Mountains, Tanzania and new Tettigoniidae species from East Africa.

A list of the Tettigoniidae (Orthoptera) of the East Usambara Mountains is presented and 16 new species are described from East Africa. A total number of 29 Tettigoniidae species is recorded for the East Usambara Mountains. New species are described from the Shimba Hills in Kenya, coastal Tanzania from the Kazimzumbwi forest reserve, Mt Kilimanjaro, the East and West Usambara and Uluguru Mountains in Tanzania, namely in Conocephalinae Afroagraecia pwania n. sp., Afroagraecia shimbaensis n. sp., Afroanthracites discolor n. sp., Afroanthracites jagoi n. sp. and Afroanthracites viridis n. sp., in Meconematinae Afrophisis flagellata n. sp., Afrophisis kisarawe n. sp., Afrophisis mazumbaiensis n. sp. and Afrophisis pseudoflagellata n. sp., in Hexacentrinae Aerotegmina megaloptera n. sp., in Mecopodinae Apteroscirtus cristatus n. sp., and A. planidorsatus n. sp., in Phaneropterinae Gelotopoia amabilis n. sp., and in Pseudophyllinae Cymatomerella pardopunctata n. sp. and Cymatomera viridimaculata n. sp. Seven species are endemic to the East Usambara Mountains which are 25% of the recorded forest-bound bush crickets. The Tettigoniidae fauna is compared between the East Usambara Mountains and Mt Kilimanjaro and mechanisms of speciation discussed in Orthoptera for the area. New Tettigoniidae records are given for Mt Kilimanjaro (Oxyecous apertus Ragge, Tropidonotacris grandis Ragge and Eurycorypha conclusa Hemp).

Sound Modulation in Singing Katydids Using Ionic Polymer-Metal Composites (IPMCs)

Many insect families have evolved to produce and detect complex singing patterns for the purposes of mating, display of dominance, predator escape, and other needs. While the mechanisms of sound production by insects have been thoroughly studied, man-machine exploitation of such mechanisms has remained unreported. We therefore describe a method to modulate the frequency spectrum in the chirp call of a singing insect, Gampsocleis gratiosa (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae), a large katydid indigenous to China and commonly known as Guo Guo or Chinese Bush Cricket. The chirp modulation was achieved through the contact of a ribbon of Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite (IPMC) against wing of the insect. The IPMC effectively served as an actuator when a small DC voltage was applied to the ribbon's faces. By applying a sequential on/off voltage waveform to the IPMC ribbon, the katydid's chirp was modulated in a corresponding manner. This configuration can be used as part of a broader application of using singing insects to harness their acoustic power to produce and propagate machine-induced messages into the acoustic environment.

A new subtribe of the tribe Phisidini from America and remarks on the genus Arachnoscelis (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Meconematinae)

A new subtribe (Arachnoscelidina subtrib. nov.) and two new subgenera of the genus Arachnoscelis Karny (Centrophisis subgen. nov. and Peruphisis subgen. nov.) are described. All these taxa are distributed in America and probably belong to the tribe Phisidini of the katydid subfamily Meconematinae. Some problems of taxonomy and morphology of the Arachnoscelidina are briefly discussed.

Using weaver ants Oecophylla smaragdina to control two important pests on African mahogany Khaya senegalensis in the Northern Territory of Australia

African mahogany, Khaya senegalensis, is a high-value timber tree species. Pilot plantings showed that the species performed well in the wet–dry tropical areas of northern Australia, but the yellow looper, Gymnoscelis sp., and the bush cricket, Myara yabmanna, caused severe damage to the trees. The weaver ant, Oecophylla smaragdina, is an effective bio-control agent of a range of insect pests in tropical tree crops and forest trees. To determine whether the ants control these mahogany pests, field experiments were conducted from April 2006 to January 2009 at two sites near Darwin, Australia. The fraction of the total number of trees damaged per year was 4.2–32.4% by yellow loopers and 0–10.4% by bush crickets on trees with weaver ants, but 25–70.4% by yellow loopers and 25–100% by bush crickets on trees without the ants. The damaged trees with weaver ants were attacked on fewer occasions than damaged trees without the ants. Significantly fewer trees with weaver ants were damaged per monitoring occasion (2.1–8.4% at Berrimah Farm and 0.5% at Howard Springs by yellow loopers; 0–2.2% by bush crickets) than trees without the ants (24.2–51.3% at Berrimah Farm and 5.0% at Howard Springs by yellow loopers; 18.1–40.7% by bush crickets). Data suggested that weaver ants were effective bio-control agents of the two pests.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT SEGREGATION OF BUSHCRICKETS (ORTHOPTERA: TETTIGONIIDAE) IN ISRAEL

ABSTRACT Long-horned bushcrickets (Tettigoniidae) have been studied intensively in Israel for four decades. Forty-two species belonging to twenty-two genera have been recorded. This article reviews their biology and analyzes the geographical distribution and the species associations with plant communities of the five phytogeographical provinces represented in Israel. The majority of the species are associated with the Mediterranean and Irano-Turanian flora, with a few species each associated with the Tragacant, Saharo-Sindian, and Ethiopian flora. A high proportion (about 50%) of endemism, associated with a high proportion of brachypterous species, was found in the first three groups but not in the last two groups. Despite a general association with specific plant communities, no distinct relation between species distribution and precipitation levels was found. However, within the Mediterranean and Irano—Turanian groups, there is a distinct segregation of species with similar morphology between bush-fores...

The bush-cricket Isophya kraussii (Orthoptera: Phaneropteridae): bioacoustics, distribution and description of a new subspecies from Romania.

Isophya kraussii Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1878, one of the widest spread bush-crickets within this genus, is confirmed to be present east of the Carpathian Mountains. Based on acoustic analysis and morphological characters, the populations from NE Romania are considered to belong to a different subspecies, I. kraussii moldavica ssp. n. A map with distribution of both subspecies is presented.

Timing and intensity of bush cricket predation on egg batches of pine processionary moth: no evidence of population control

Abstract Bush crickets (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae) are known predators of egg batches of the pine processionary moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa Denis and Schiffermüller, Lepidoptera: Notodontidae), a severe pest in Mediterranean pine woodlands. Bush crickets have been proposed as biological control agents of T. pityocampa populations, although their characteristics as generalist predators suggest that this would be possible only during the low‐density phases of the processionary population cycle. We combined observational and experimental approaches aiming to determine the role played by the bush cricket Steropleurus andalusius as a regulator of T. pityocampa. The synchrony of the phenology of T. pityocampa egg batches and the activity of bush crickets was poor, with the activity of bush crickets being longer than the period during which egg batches were available. The predation rate of bush crickets reached 23%, varied in time and space, and was independent of T. pityocampa egg‐batch density. There was no relationship between the egg‐batch densities and bush cricket abundance, and no response to experimental variations in egg‐batch density. Analysis of microhabitat selection suggests that T. pityocampa egg‐batch predation is a by‐product of the substrate selected by bush crickets for mating, and does not correspond with active searching of egg batches as food. These findings do not rule out the possibilty of bush crickets being natural regulators of T. pityocampa populations, although they impose limits with respect to their future use in biological control.

Monitoring and conservation of Saga pedo (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) in an isolated nothwestern population

The bush cricket Saga pedo is a critically endangered species in the EU and is included in Annex IV of Council Directive 92/43/EEC. This species is therefore subject to mandatory regular monitoring within all member countries where it occurs. Because its abundance is low and little information is available concerning its ecology, however, an effective monitoring method that would yield standardized results has yet to be devised. We found S. pedo passing through 6 instars during its development in Central European conditions. Our findings indicate that, after hatching, S. pedo moves constantly through terrain with optimal vegetation and thereby reduces its population density. Based on recaptures of marked individuals, adults moved usually between 0.5 and 2 m in 24 h, the largest distance moved during a day was recorded as 37.5 m. Combined with a high mortality rate, this continual movement leads to very low density late in the season. Based on extensive surveys conducted during 2006–2011 at 10 sites in the Palava Protected Landscape Area (Czech Republic), we show that the optimal time for monitoring in order to achieve comparable results from different investigators in different locations is the period just after nymphs hatch (1–10 May in Central Europe). Because S. pedo populations in Europe are threatened by habitat destruction resulting from successional overgrowth of habitat by vegetation and afforestation, ensuring the survival of this species will require that successional changes in vegetation and afforestation be stopped by mowing and removal of woody plants and seedlings or by farming (extensive grazing). Management need not be performed every year but should occur when the S. pedo population is already adult and dispersed. The most suitable period for partial machine mowing (1/3–1/2 of a specific area) is September. Mowing with scythes and extensive rotational grazing are the best methods for managing sites where S. pedo is found.

The genetic structure of populations of Metrioptera bicolor in a spatially structured landscape: effects of dispersal barriers and geographic distance

The stability and long-term survival of animal populations in fragmented landscapes largely depends on the colonisation of habitat patches and the exchange of individuals between patches. The degree of inter-patch dispersal, in turn, depends on the dispersal abilities of species and the landscape structure (i.e. the nature of the landscape matrix and habitat distribution). Here, we investigated the genetic structure of populations of Metrioptera bicolor, a wing-dimorphic bush cricket, in a spatially structured landscape with patches of suitable habitat distributed within a diverse matrix of different habitat types. Using six microsatellite markers, we assessed the effects of geographic distance and different matrix types on the extent of genetic differentiation among 24 sampling sites. We found that forest and a river running through the study area both impede inter-patch dispersal. The presence of these two matrix types was positively correlated with the extent of genetic differentiation between sites. In addition, we found a significant positive correlation between pairwise genetic and geographic distances for a subsample of sites which were separated only by arable land or settlements. For the complete data set, this correlation could not be found. This is most probably because the adverse effect of forest and river on gene flow dominates the effect of geographic distance in our limited set of patches. Our analyses clearly emphasize the differential resistance of different habitat types on dispersal and the importance of a more detailed view on matrix “quality” in metapopulation studies.

Processing of ultrasound in a bush cricket's brain

The processing and categorization of conspecific and heterospecific acoustic signals is an important task of the central nervous system. In orthopteran species, carrier frequency (besides temporal cues) is one of the major discriminators. In the bush cricket species Ancistrura nigrovittata Brunner von Wattenwyl (Phaneropteridae, Barbitistini), ultrasound has potentially different meanings and may elicit vastly different behaviours depending on the context it is perceived in. In the present study, data are presented of the morphology and neuronal responses of three local brain neurones (LBNs) that respond best to ultrasound. All neurones show dense arborizations in the lateral protocerebrum, where ascending interneurones terminate. The LBN2 and LBN9 neurones are entirely restricted to one side of the brain, whereas LBN5 crosses the midline, thereby linking both hemispheres. The response maxima for LBN2 overlap closely with the peak carrier frequencies found in a species‐specific duet, which consists of sonic (16 kHz, male), as well as ultrasonic (24–28 kHz, female) sound. By contrast, LBN9 responds only to ultrasound in the range of the female reply, whereas the male song induces exceptionally long‐lasting inhibition. The LBN5 neurone shows strongest spike activity to a broad range of ultrasonic frequencies, as long as the pulse duration remains short. All three brain neurones respond to ultrasound in a unique way and may be involved in the shaping of different behavioural outcomes.

К биологии кузнечика Lithoxenus heptapotamicus (Pylnov, 1911) (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) с обновленным описанием самки и самца

К биологии кузнечика Lithoxenus heptapotamicus (Pylnov, 1911) (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) с обновленным описанием самки и самца

Indigenous knowledge of seasonal weather forecasting: A case study in six regions of Uganda

Indigenous knowledge of seasonal weather fore- casting could be useful in decision making at village level to best exploit the seasonal distri- bution of rainfall in order to increase or stabilize crop yields. We examined existing indigenous knowledge by interviewing 192 households in six regions of Uganda. Twenty one distinctive indicators were mentioned by local communities for forecasting the start of the dry season, but only few of these indicators were more consis- tently and frequently used in the different dis- tricts. These included the appearance of bush crickets (Ruspolia baileyi Otte), winds blowing from the east to the west, the appearance and movement of migratory birds such as cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis Linnaeus), and calling by the Bateleur eagle (Terathopius ecaudatus Lesson). For prediction of the start of the rainy season, 22 indicators were mentioned and these included winds blowing from the west to the east, cuckoo birds (Cuculiformes: Cuculidae) start to call, and winged African termite (Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki) swarms leave their nests. Predictors of rain in the following days included presence of red clouds in the morning. Together with the me- teorological forecasts, traditional indicators could be very useful in rain forecasting and improving the timing of agricultural activities.

Diet and foraging habitats of non-breeding white storks (Ciconia ciconia) in Bulgaria

The diet of non-breeding White Storks was studied by pellet analysis and included mainly insects (99.9%, n=28947) with a predominance of grasshoppers (Orthoptera, 76.1%), and beetles (Coleoptera, 26.1%). The bush crickets Decticus albifrons/verrucivorus were the most numerous prey (29.9% by items), occurring in almost all pellets (98% occurrence in pellets, n=147) and predominating in half of them (49.7%). The grasshopper associations in the pellets specify foraging mainly in mesophytic grasslands that usually replace abandoned fields and overgrown pastures with a low level of grazing. The xerophytic grass-shrubby habitats, not rare on stony terrains, were of less importance, providing around 20% by prey. The typical aquatic inhabitants and the use of carrion around villages were exceptions in the study diet. The number of innutritious materials in the pellets rose when the White Storks hunted on nippy and agile grasshoppers and decreased when the main pray was slower beetles taken from the ground. The roosting of non-breeding White Storks disappeared when their preferred feeding habitats were ploughed up in the following years.