Trade-off phenomena in calling song recognition and phonotaxis in the cricket,Gryllus bimaculatus (Orthoptera, Gryllidae)

1985 ◽  
Vol 156 (6) ◽  
pp. 787-801 ◽  
Author(s):  
John A. Doherty
Keyword(s):  
Calling Song ◽  
Gryllus Bimaculatus ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Song Recognition

scholarly journals Temperature Coupling and ‘Trade-Off’ Phenomena in the Acoustic Communication System of the Cricket, Gryllus Bimaculatus De Geer (Gryllidae)

1985 ◽  
Vol 114 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
John A. Doherty
Keyword(s):  
Pattern Recognition ◽  
Dominant Frequency ◽  
Calling Song ◽  
Effect Of Temperature ◽  
Gryllus Bimaculatus ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Temporal Properties ◽  
Syllable Duration ◽  
Different Temperatures ◽  
Increasing Temperature

The effects of ambient temperature on stridulation (calling song) in males, and phonotaxis in females, were studied in the chirping cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus. In the male, temperature had the greatest effect on the syllable and chirp repetition rates. Both increased linearly with increasing temperature between 15 and 24°C; there was no effect of temperature on these temporal properties at higher temperatures (24–33°C). Syllable duration, number of syllables per chirp and dominant frequency remained relatively unaffected by changes in temperature. Stridulation and phonotaxis were temperature coupled because the female at 15, 22 and 30°C responded best to synthetic songs with syllable and chirp repetition rates that matched these temporal properties of the male's calling song at the same temperature. The phonotactic behaviour of the female indicates that certain combinations of temporal properties in the male's calling Song improve the female's response at different temperatures, suggesting the presence of ‘trade-off’ phenomena in phonotaxis and pattern recognition in G. bimaculatus.

scholarly journals Frequency tuning and directional sensitivity of tympanal vibrations in the field cricket Gryllus bimaculatus

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (128) ◽  
pp. 20170035 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin J. Lankheet ◽  
Uroš Cerkvenik ◽  
Ole N. Larsen ◽  
Johan L. van Leeuwen
Keyword(s):  
Frequency Tuning ◽  
Acoustic Properties ◽  
Calling Song ◽  
Field Cricket ◽  
Directional Sensitivity ◽  
Gryllus Bimaculatus ◽  
Field Crickets ◽  
Song Production ◽  
Song Frequency ◽  
Phase Differences

Female field crickets use phonotaxis to locate males by their calling song. Male song production and female behavioural sensitivity form a pair of matched frequency filters, which in Gryllus bimaculatus are tuned to a frequency of about 4.7 kHz. Directional sensitivity is supported by an elaborate system of acoustic tracheae, which make the ears function as pressure difference receivers. As a result, phase differences between left and right sound inputs are transformed into vibration amplitude differences. Here we critically tested the hypothesis that acoustic properties of internal transmissions play a major role in tuning directional sensitivity to the calling song frequency, by measuring tympanal vibrations as a function of sound direction and frequency. Rather than sharp frequency tuning of directional sensitivity corresponding to the calling song, we found broad frequency tuning, with optima shifted to higher frequencies. These findings agree with predictions from a vector summation model for combining external and internal sounds. We show that the model provides robust directional sensitivity that is, however, broadly tuned with an optimum well above the calling song frequency. We therefore advocate that additional filtering, e.g. at a higher (neuronal) level, significantly contributes to frequency tuning of directional sensitivity.

Neurochemical control of cricket stridulation revealed by pharmacological microinjections into the brain

1999 ◽  
Vol 202 (16) ◽  
pp. 2203-2216 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Wenzel ◽  
B. Hedwig
Keyword(s):  
Mushroom Body ◽  
Histological Analysis ◽  
Courtship Song ◽  
Aminobutyric Acid ◽  
Calling Song ◽  
Command Neurons ◽  
Gryllus Bimaculatus ◽  
Natural Behaviour ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
The Brain

Neuroactive substances were administered into the frontal protocerebrum of tethered male Gryllus bimaculatus by pressure injections from microcapillaries. All three types of species-specific song pattern (calling song, rivalry song and courtship song) could be elicited by injection of acetylcholine and cholinergic agonists. Injection of nicotine led to short bouts of calling song that occurred after a short latency. In contrast, muscarine elicited long-lasting stridulation that took longer to develop. The pharmacologically induced song patterns showed transitions from rivalry song to calling song and from calling song to courtship song, which also occur during natural behaviour. Stridulation induced by a cholinergic agonist could be immediately blocked by microinjection of (γ)-aminobutyric acid (GABA) into the same neuropile sites. Administration of picrotoxin in resting crickets led to enhanced motor activity that incorporated the three different song patterns. We propose that, in the brain of the cricket, acetylcholine and GABA are putative transmitters involved in the control of stridulation. Histological analysis located the stimulation sites to an area between the pedunculus and the (α)-lobe of the mushroom body in which the command neurons for calling song have dendritic arborizations.

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