The potato leafhopper, Empoasca fabae, is an important pest of many agricultural crops. Most research has focused on the population biology of this leafhopper. However, few studies have examined its mating behavior, which is mediated by vibrational signals. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively describe vibrational interactions between males and females and to determine female preference functions for male signal components. Results show that males emit calls consisting of a series of simple pulses. Females respond by emitting simple pulses forming a precise duet with males. Males then search for stationary females. After locating a female, a male emits a courtship signal immediately before attempting to copulate. To determine the female preference function for male pulse repetition rate, we first analyzed calls emitted by 20 males to obtain an estimate of intrapopulational variation. This information was used to construct a series of test calls that included repetition rates within and beyond the range detected in the population. Results show that females respond well to repetition rates that greatly exceed (high and low) the range emitted by males. Unlike many insects and vertebrates, these results suggest that mate recognition by female potato leafhoppers depends on characteristics of individual pulses emitted by males, rather than the repetition rate of pulses.
Species 1: Homoptera Cicadellidae Empoasca fabae (potato leafhopper)
Keywords: mating behavior
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