Vibratory communication in Triatominae (Heteroptera)

LAZZARI, CLAUDIO RICARDO; MANRIQUE, GABRIEL; SCHILMAN, PABLO ERNESTO

Insect Sounds and Communication

CRC Taylor & Francis

Año: 2006; p. 297 - 304

Since long time ago, it is well known that adults as well as larvae of Triatominae bugs produce are able to produce stridulations by rubbing the tip of the proboscis against a grove located in the prosternum.Even though this behaviour has been frequently observed, their biological meaning remained obscure until recently. This was partially due to the fact of considering the product of stridulation as air-borne sounds and not as substrate-borne vibrational signals, provided that in some species it could be audible.During the past few years, experimental evidence has been gathered on the morphology of stridulatory organs, the physical structure of the signal and, in particular, on the behavioural contexts of spontaneous stridulations and the response to them by these bugs.Results show that different signals are emitted in different behavioural contexts. On the one hand, females stridulate to reject mating attempts performed by males.On the other hand, triatomines emit vibratory signals when disturbed or handled. Both signals differ in their temporal pattern and frequency spectra. The available information suggests that only one of them has a function in intraspecific communication during mating, whereas the other would be a non-specific signal addressed to discourage predators.