Insects widely use plant stems as a substrate for the transmission of vibratory communication signals. Differences in plant substrate, such as variation in tissue or branching structure, should impose substantial variation in signal transmission. Therefore, understanding this mode of communication requires both accurate measurement of signal transmission as well as knowledge of how transmission is affected by variation in plant substrates. Typically, vibratory signal transmission in plant stems has been characterized using methods that measure change in signal parameters in a single plane. This approach assumes that at some distance away, all points around the stem provide similar information of changes incurred during transmission. Violation of this assumption with differences in signal parameters in other planes would provide a more complete view of the changes incurred and therefore, what ultimately reaches potential receivers. In this study we use a two-dimensional approach to characterize the signal transmission properties of plant stems, using both computer-generated stimuli and the vibrational signals of treehoppers (Membracidae). We further relate these measurements to variation in plant substrate. Our results offer a new way of looking at vibrational signals in plant stems, with implications on how variation in plant substrate affects the efficiency and evolution of these signals.
Species 1: Homoptera Membracidae
Keywords: communication
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