Comparison of the mating behaviour between two sympatric species,Nezara antennata andN. viridula (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), with special reference to sound emission

Abstract

-Mating behaviour and associated songs were compared between 2 sympatric congeneric species, Nezara antennata and N. viridula, between which interspecific mating was known to occur under natural conditions. The fundamental sequence of mating behaviour for these species was the same. Three kinds of songs were recorded from each sex of N. antennata. For N. viridula, 4 kinds of male songs and 3 kinds of female songs were recorded. The songs which corresponded with definite behavioural bouts were distinct between these species. Some consideration was made as to why interspecific differences in the songs did not sufficiently engender ethological isolation. In addition, some geographic variations in the songs were shown among Yugoslavian (~okl et al. 1972), American (Harris et al. 1982) and Japanese populations of N. viridula.These variations were relatively inconspicuous when compared with the interspecific differences from N. antennata.

The effect of vibratory disturbance on sexual behaviour of the southern green stink bug Nezara viridula (Heteroptera, Pentatomidae)

“…The modifications are similar across diverse animal taxa and probably represent ancient evolutionary adaptations to noise [1]. The focus of our research was the impact of acoustic noise on the communication system of the southern green stink bug Nezara viridula (L.), whose sexual behaviour consists of long-range mate location by pheromones, and short-range location, mate recognition and courtship by substrate-borne signals (»songs«) [11][12][13][14][15][16], and serves as a model for the Pentatomidae. The behavioural sequence starts with a sexually mature male producing a volatile pheromone, which attracts both adults and larvae to the same host plant [11,17,18].…”

“…Coinciding signals from conspecific and congeneric signalers present a significant problem for detection of individuals, because the spectrum overlapse renders useless frequency filtering for improving signal-to-noise ratio [27]. There are also syntopic congeneric species, such as N. antennata, that produce signals in the same frequency range [12]. Filtering incoming signals by frequency as a means of reducing masking by congeneric signalers has been described in the bushcricket Sciarasaga quadrata [28], but the spectrum overlap makes the existence of a similar mechanism in N. viridula unlikely.…”

The interaction between diet breadth, geography and gene flow in herbivorous insects

“…Differences have been reported in mating behaviour, including vibratory communication, between N. viridula from distinct regions (Čokl et al 2001;Jeraj & Walter 1998;Kon et al 1988;Žunič et al 2011). Until the genetic relationship of N. viridula from different locations is established, each of these issues cannot be investigated in a targeted manner.…”

“…The African lineage of N. viridula is represented by only a single individual from Botswana (Kavar et al 2006) and this individual is the most genetically distant of all the COI haplotypes available from the genus Nezara ( antennata and N. viridula, but these pairings do not produce offspring (Kiritani et al 1963;Kon et al 1988). The specimen from Botswana may represent a misidentified individual of another Nezara species rather than a new species within what is currently described as N. viridula, but N. viridula is widely reported from Africa (Afreh-Nuamah 1983; Ivbijaro & Bolaji 1990;Khaemba & Mutinga 1982;Poutouli 1995;Sithole et al 1986).…”

“…Differences exist in vibratory sound communication of N. viridula from different locations, an important aspect of mating in these insects (Jeraj & Walter 1998;Kon et al 1988;Ryan et al 1996;Virant-Doberlet et al 2000).…”