Versatile aggressive mimicry of cicadas by an Australian predatory katydid - PubMed (original) (raw)

Versatile aggressive mimicry of cicadas by an Australian predatory katydid

David C Marshall et al. PLoS One. 2009.

Abstract

Background: In aggressive mimicry, a predator or parasite imitates a signal of another species in order to exploit the recipient of the signal. Some of the most remarkable examples of aggressive mimicry involve exploitation of a complex signal-response system by an unrelated predator species.

Methodology/principal findings: We have found that predatory Chlorobalius leucoviridis katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) can attract male cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) by imitating the species-specific wing-flick replies of sexually receptive female cicadas. This aggressive mimicry is accomplished both acoustically, with tegminal clicks, and visually, with synchronized body jerks. Remarkably, the katydids respond effectively to a variety of complex, species-specific Cicadettini songs, including songs of many cicada species that the predator has never encountered.

Conclusions/significance: We propose that the versatility of aggressive mimicry in C. leucoviridis is accomplished by exploiting general design elements common to the songs of many acoustically signaling insects that use duets in pair-formation. Consideration of the mechanism of versatile mimicry in C. leucoviridis may illuminate processes driving the evolution of insect acoustic signals, which play a central role in reproductive isolation of populations and the formation of species.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1. Male Chlorobalius leucoviridis Spotted Predatory Katydid.

Figure 2

Figure 2. Map of the known distribution of Chlorobalius leucoviridis modified from Rentz (grey triangles).

Solid black dots show locations where katydids were collected for this study. White dots represent locations where C. leucoviridis were heard making their calling song and/or seen by the authors but not collected.

Figure 3

Figure 3. Calling song of a Chlorobalius leucoviridis male from Cunnamulla, QLD.

The scale bar in the lower left represents 500 ms.

Figure 4

Figure 4. Sonograms of field-recorded male-female duets from two Cicadettini species: (A) Maoricicada campbelli; (B) Kikihia sp. “flemingi”.

Each male song cue is marked with a “C”, and each female wing-flick response is marked with an “R”. The scale bar in the lower left of each diagram represents 100 ms. In A, faint background songs of conspecifics and crickets are visible.

Figure 5

Figure 5. Segment of a field recording showing clicks from a wild Chlorobalius leucoviridis placed after two of the male song cues made by a wild Kobonga oxleyi.

A segment of this recording is available online in the supplementary material (Audio S1). The scale bar in the lower left represents 1 s.

Figure 6

Figure 6. Demonstrations of versatile aggressive mimicry in a predatory katydid.

Sonograms show Chlorobalius leucoviridis click replies (marked with “R”) produced in response to cues (marked with “C”) of songs of 14 Cicadettini species from at least nine genera: (A) Urabunana marshalli – Australia (AUS) ; (B) Undesc. genus, sp. “Nullarbor wingbanger” – AUS; (C) Cicadetta calliope – USA; (D) Maoricicada campbelli – New Zealand (NZ); (E) Undesc. genus, sp. “Kynuna” – AUS; (F) Undesc. genus., sp. “pale grass cicada” – AUS; (G) Cicadetta viridis – AUS; (H) Pauropsalta sp. “Sandstone” – AUS; (I) Kikihia sp. “tuta” – NZ; (J) Kikihia sp. “nelsonensis”; (K) Kikihia subalpina – NZ; (L) Undesc. genus, sp. “swinging tigris” – AUS; (M) Kikihia scutellaris – NZ; (N) Undesc. genus, sp. “troublesome tigris” – AUS. A white ‘R’ in a black box (in M and N) indicates an incorrect reply, all other katydid replies are correctly placed. The katydid responses in C, D, I, J, K, and M were made to playbacks of recorded and filtered cicada songs; the remainder of the illustrations show live recordings of katydids replying to cicadas in cages. In D, two katydids are responding. Audio recording of the interaction in H is available online in Supplementary Material (Audio S2). The scale bar in the lower left of each diagram represents 100 ms.

Figure 7

Figure 7. (A and B) Chlorobalius leucoviridis males devour cicadas that they have attracted with aggressive mimicry.

In (A), note that the cicada is held between the tarsi with the tarsal claws held away from the prey and that the spines on the legs also do not contact the prey.

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