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Temperature coupling in cricket acoustic communication

I. Field and laboratory studies of temperature effects on calling song production and recognition in Gryllus firmus

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Summary

Temperature effects on calling song production and recognition were investigated in the North American field cricket, Gryllus firmus. Temporal parameters of field-recorded G. firmus calling song are strongly affected by temperature. Chirp rate and syllable rate increase, by factors of 4 and 2, respectively, as linear functions of temperature over the range in which these animals sing in the field (12°–30 °C). Temperature affects syllable duration to a lesser extent, and does not influence calling song carrier frequency. Female phonotactic preference, measured on a spherical treadmill in the laboratory, also changes with temperature such that warmer females prefer songs with faster chirp and syllable rates. Best phonotaxis, measured as accuracy of orientation to the sound source, and highest walking velocity, occur in response to temperature-matched songs at 15°, 21°, and 30 °C. Experiments under semi-natural conditions in an outdoor arena revealed that females perform phonotaxis at temperatures as low as 13 °C. Taken together, the song and phonotaxis data demonstrate that this communication system is temperature coupled. A strategy is outlined by which temperature coupling may be exploited to test hypotheses about the organization of neural networks subserving song recognition.

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Abbreviations

CP :

chirp period

SP :

syllable period

SD :

syllable duration

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kewalo Marine Laboratory, Pacific Biomedical Research Center, University of Hawaii, 41 Ahui St., 96813, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

    Anthony Pires

  2. Section of Neurobiology and Behavior, S.G. Mudd Hall, Cornell University, 14853, Ithaca, New York, USA

    Ronald R. Hoy

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  1. Anthony Pires
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  2. Ronald R. Hoy
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Pires, A., Hoy, R.R. Temperature coupling in cricket acoustic communication. J Comp Physiol A 171, 69–78 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00195962

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