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Type: Article
Published: 2020-02-26
Page range: 427–437
Abstract views: 97
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Mating behavior and acoustic communication of the long-legged cricket Endecous (Notendecous) onthophagus (Berg, 1891) from Southern Brazil (Orthoptera: Grylloidea: Phalangopsidae)

Programa de Pós-Graduação em Entomologia e Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Departamento de Ecologia, Zoologia e Genética, Instituto de Biologia, Campus Universitário Capão do Leão s/n, Capão do Leão, RS, Brazil
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Entomologia e Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Departamento de Ecologia, Zoologia e Genética, Instituto de Biologia, Campus Universitário Capão do Leão s/n, Capão do Leão, RS, Brazil
Laboratório de Orthoptera, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná, rua Universitária, n. 2069, 85819–110, Universitário, Cascavel, PR, Brazil
Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul—Faculdade de Biociências—Departamento de Biodiversidade e Ecologia—Laboratório de Entomologia. Av. Ipiranga, 6681—Partenon—Porto Alegre/RS—CEP: 90619–900 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Entomologia e Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Departamento de Ecologia, Zoologia e Genética, Instituto de Biologia, Campus Universitário Capão do Leão s/n, Capão do Leão, RS, Brazil
Orthoptera Insect Ensifera courtship reproduction bioacoustics

Abstract

The courtship, copulation and post-copulatory behavior, as well as acoustic communication of the Neotropical cricket Endecous (Notendecous) onthophagus is described under laboratory conditions and compared with other phalangopsids whose mating system was studied so far. We found that E. onthophagus present predictable mating sequences including seven events: (1) prolonged courtship; (2) male spermatophore extrusion during courtship; (3) female-above copulatory position; (4) prolonged copulation; (5) male forewings flipped over his head, exposing metanotal region along copulation; (6) copulation without spermatophore transfer; and (7) absence of guarding behavior. We suggest these events (1 to 7) as a behavioral line shared by phalangopsids, and we highlight variations that reflect the behavioral diversity of these crickets. The males of E. onthophagus produce the calling song (chirps) to attract females to mate, and also stridulates intermittently during the entire courtship period with distinct acoustic parameters during the stages of pre- and post-spermatophore extrusion.

 

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