Macropsis fumipennis is an ant-attended leafhopper that is a specialist on honey locust trees. Mate recognition in this leafhopper depends on vibrational signals exchanged between the sexes. Field and laboratory observations suggested that males synchronize their mate attraction signals. The goals of our study were to test this hypothesis, determine cues that stimulate group singing, and compare calls emitted by isolated males to calls emitted by males within a group. Analysis of phase relationships confirm that males synchronize calls. Playback experiments show that group signals, but not solo signals, stimulate calling. Finally, characteristics of calls emitted by males singing within a group are significantly different than solo calls.
Species 1: Homoptera Cicadellidae Macropsis fumipennis
Keywords: mating behavior
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