Publication
The calling songs of some katydids (Orthoptera, Tettigonioidea) from the tropical forests of Southeast Asia
Abstracts views
1
Views & Download
0
Abstract:
Katydids produce sound for signaling and communication by stridulation
of the tegmina. Unlike crickets, most katydids are known to sing at
ultrasonic frequencies. This has drawn interest in the investigation of the
biophysics of ultrasonic sound production, detection, evolution, and ecology
(including predator–prey interactions) of these katydids. However,
most of these studies are based on species from the Neotropics, while little
is known about katydid species from the hyperdiverse region of Southeast
Asia. To address this, a concerted effort to document, record, and
describe the calling songs of Southeast Asian katydids, especially species
that call at ultrasonic frequencies, was made. A study spanning two years
(2018–2020) in the Malay Peninsula (Singapore and Malaysia), Borneo
(Brunei Darussalam and Sabah), and the Philippines revealed previously
unknown calls of 24 katydid species from four subfamilies. The calling
songs of Southeast Asian katydid species are highly diversified in terms of
time and frequency. Call structure can range from isolated syllables (e.g.,
Holochlora), continuous trills (e.g., Axylus philippinus), to short pulse-trains
(e.g., Euanisous teuthroides) and complex echemes (e.g., Conocephalus spp.),
with 87.5% of species having ultrasonic peak frequencies and 12.5% being
considered extreme ultrasonic callers (peak frequency >40 kHz). The
call spectrum ranges from tonal (e.g., spectral entropy is 6.8 in Casigneta
sp. 2) to resonant (entropy is 8.8 in Conocephalus cognatus). Of the 24 species
whose calls are described here, we imaged and described the soundproducing
structures of 18. This study provides a preliminary overview of
the acoustic diversity of katydids in Southeast Asia, and the authors hope
to inspire further investigation into the bioacoustics of little-known katydids
from these areas. Amassing a database of calling songs and soundproducing
organ illustrations from different species is important to address
taxonomic impediments while advancing our knowledge about the
bioacoustics of Southeast Asian katydids.
Description:
Date:
2023
Authors:
Tan, Ming Kai
Duncan, Jacob
Rodzay bin Haji Abdul Wahab
Lee, Chow-Yang
Japir, Razy
Chung, Arthur Y.C.
Baroga-Barbecho, Jessica B.
Yap, Sheryl A.
Montealegre-Z, Fernando
Publisher:
Pensoft Publishers
