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EVIDENCE FOR SONIC COMMUNICATION IN THE GERMAN COCKROACH (DICTYOPTERA: BLATTELLIDAE)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

Craig Mistal ,
Stephen Takács  and
Gerhard Gries
Craig Mistal
Affiliation:
Centre for Environmental Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6
Stephen Takács
Affiliation:
Centre for Environmental Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6
Gerhard Gries*
Affiliation:
Centre for Environmental Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6
*
1 Author to whom all correspondence should be addressed (E-mail: gries@sfu.ca).
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Abstract

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Our objective was to test the hypothesis that late-instar nymph, male, and (or) female German cockroaches, Blattella germanica (L.), use sonic signals for intraspecific communication. A digital-recording system was assembled that consisted of a computer equipped with data-acquisition hardware and software, microphones sensitive to sonic and ultrasonic frequencies, and speakers capable of emitting sonic and ultrasonic sound. Sound was repeatedly recorded from groups of five nymphs, five virgin males, or five virgin females. Click-type sounds were commonly present in recordings from nymphs, and consisted of sound pulses of about 10-ms duration and peak frequencies of 7, 9, 11, and 14 kHz. Similar "clicks" were found in recordings from females. In replicated binary choice arena bioassays with individual laboratory-reared insects, played-back "clicks" from nymphs or females or computer-generated artificial clicks attracted nymphs but not males or females. These results provide the first evidence that sonic signals are part of the complex B. germanica communication system.

Résumé

Nous avons éprouvé l’hypothèse selon laquelle les larves de stades avancés, les mâles et (ou) les femelles de la Blatte germanique, Blattella germanica (L.), utilisent des signaux sonores pour communiquer les uns avec les autres. Un système digital d’enregistrement a été mis au point : un ordinateur muni d’équipement et de logiciels d’acquisition de données, des microphones sensibles aux fréquences sonores et aux ultra-sons et des hauts-parleurs capables d’émettre des sons et des ultra-sons. Des groupes de cinq larves, ou de cinq mâles vierges, ou de cinq femelles vierges, ont été enregistrés de façon répétée. Des sons de type claquement se sont avérés communs dans les enregistrements de larves et étaient composés de pulsations sonores d’environ 10 ms et de fréquences maximales de 7, 9, 11 et 14 kHz. Des claquements semblables s’entendaient dans les enregistrements de femelles. Au cours de tests de choix binaires répétés sur des insectes élevés individuellement en laboratoire, les claquements de larves ou de femelles, ou des claquements artificiels générés par l’ordinateur attiraient les larves, mais n’attiraient ni les mâles, ni les femelles. Ces résultats constituent une preuve inédite que des signaux sonores font partie intégrante du système de communication complexe de B. germanica.

[Traduit par la Rédaction]

Type
Articles
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 132 , Issue 6 , December 2000 , pp. 867 - 876
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 2000

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