STRIDULATION AND ITS ANALYSIS IN CERTAIN GEOCORISAE (HEMIPTERA HETEROPTERA)

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Abstract
Summary.: The stridulation of the bugs Coranus subapterous, Kleidocerys ericae, Kleidocerys resedae, Piesma quadrata and Sehirus bicolor was recorded on magnetic tape and analysed oscillographically. The sounds emitted by Coranus subapterus were elicited only by tactile stimulation, and were irregular in waveform and frequency, varying in and between individuals. It is suggested that stridulation in this insect is a defence reflex. In the remaining bugs the sounds were characterized by being of a pulse modulated type, and where one insect emitted more than one type of sound, these were distinguishable by differing pulse repetition frequencies. The structure of the various types of stridulation in the four insects is demonstrated by oscillograms. In the four species stridulation was spontaneous, although tactile stimuli could also elicit sound emission in the two species of Kleidocerys. In Piesma, and probably in both other genera, stridulation only occurred in sexually mature adults. In Piesma and Kleidocerys both sexes emitted the same song, while in Sehirus the males emitted three songs and the females probably a single song of their own. Behaviour associated with the stridulation is described and the hypothesis that the sounds are related to aggregation and sexual behaviour is discussed.