Biotremology in arthropods

Abstract

Effective communication is essential in animal life to allow fundamental behavioral processes and survival. Communicating by surface-borne vibrations is likely the most ancient mode of getting and exchanging information in both invertebrates and vertebrates. In this review, we concentrate on the use of vibrational communication in arthropods as a form of intraspecific and interspecific signaling, with a focus on the newest discoveries from our research group in terrestrial isopods (Crustacea: Isopoda: Oniscidea), a taxon never investigated before in this context. After getting little attention in the past, biotremology is now an emerging field of study in animal communication, and it is receiving increased interest from the scientific community dealing with these behavioral processes. In what follows, we illustrate the general principles and mechanisms on which biotremology is based, using definitions, examples, and insights from the literature in arthropods. Vibrational communication in arthropods has mainly been studied in insects and arachnids. For these taxa, much evidence of its use as a source of information from the surrounding environment exists, as well as its involvement in many behavioral roles, such as courtship and mating, conspecific recognition, competition, foraging, parental care, and danger perception. Recently, and for the first time, communication through surface-borne waves has been studied in terrestrial isopods, using a common Mediterranean species of the Armadillidae family as a pilot species, Armadillo officinalis Duméril, 1816. Mainly, for this species, we describe typical behavioral processes, such as turn alternation, aggregation, and stridulation, where vibrational communication appears to be involved.

Lizards as models to explore the ecological and neuroanatomical correlates of miniaturization

“…For miniaturized squamates, arthropods of similar size are appropriate ecological analogues, filling comparable ecological niches, sharing similar assemblages of predators and prey, and having high population densities (Rodda et al, 2001;Vitt et al, 2005). Among arthropods, the use of substrate-borne vibrations is widespread (Barth, 1982;Cocroft & Rodríguez, 2005;Cividini & Montesanto, 2020), functioning in prey localization (Casas et al, 1998), predator avoidance (Roberts, 2017), assessment of habitat (Evans et al, 2005), and intraspecific communication, the latter including advertisement of food resources (Yadav et al, 2017) and predatory threats (Hunt & Richard, 2013), parent-offspring communication (Savoyard et al, 1998), territory defence (Yack et al, 2001), and courtship (Uetz & Roberts, 2002). However, this sensory modality has received less attention in vertebrates.…”

Behaviour of two fly species reared for livestock feed: optimising production and insect welfare

“…These include abiotic factors such as temperature, humidity and feed substrate distribution, and biotic factors such as density of conspecifics and predator abundance. Examples of important insect behaviours in response to environmental changes include feeding, aggregation and reproductive behaviour (Cividini and Montesanto, 2020;Fouche et al, 2018;Hoy, 2019;Mayhew, 2018). Insects are ectotherms and ambient temperatures influence body temperature and behaviours such as feeding, growth, locomotion, mating and courtship behaviour as well as on immune function and sensory input (Angilletta et al, 2002;Willmer, 1991).…”

Infection influences vibratory signal components in a wolf spider

“…Vibratory signals are ubiquitous across a variety of animal taxa but are particularly common among invertebrates (Cividini & Montesanto, 2020; Cocroft et al, 2014; Cocroft & Rodriguez, 2005; Hill, 2001, 2008; Yack, 2016). These substrate‐borne signals are used in a variety of contexts, such as parent/offspring communication (Nomakuchi et al, 2012), communication amongst individuals living in a group (Boucher & Schneider, 2009), food recruitment (reviewed in Cocroft & Hamel, 2010), and courtship/mating (de Luca & Morris, 1998, Sivalinghem et al, 2010, reviewed in Hill, 2009 and Randall, 2014).…”