Neocicada undetermined

SUEUR, JÉRÔME, 2002, Cicada acoustic communication: potential sound partitioning in a multispecies community from Mexico (Hemiptera: Cicadomorpha: Cicadidae), Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 75 (3), pp. 379-394 : 383

NEOCICADA SP. ( FIG. 3 )

Seasonal rhythm. End of the dry season, activity fell at the end of May

Nycthemeral rhythm. From 6.45 a.m. to 7.50 p.m. with higher activity at dawn and dusk.

Calling site and calling posture. Individuals called from the lower strata, sitting on the tree trunks at 0.5–3m above the ground. At this low position in the forest stratification light was scarce. Thus, this species did not need significant radiation from the sun to be active and this might explain why it was able to produce sounds even if the weather was bad. No body movement occurred during sound production.

Calling song. Composed of two parts with different temporal patterns but with same spectral features. The first part (A) lasting 8.02 s ± 6.76 (0.47–24.40, 58) was a repetition at a rate of 15 Hz of short echemes, each one composed of three pulses. The second part (B) was a long metallic whistle of 4.32 s ± 1.14 (0.83–7.01, 58) with a slow fall in frequency of about 100 Hz. Both parts were composed of six narrow frequency bands, with a fundamental frequency (F 0) at about 2250 Hz and five successive harmonics at about 4460 Hz (=2F 0), 6740 Hz (=3F 0), 8900 Hz (=4F 0), 11100 Hz (=5F 0) and 13350Hz (=6F 0). Second and fourth peaks were dominant. The vibration of the thin-walled and air-filled abdomen should explain this spectral pattern.

Behaviour. Static and isolated on trees. Individuals produced calling songs in chorus but without fine synchronization. Part A of the calling song was sometimes omitted. Several times physical contact was observed between two males meeting at the same calling site. After fighting one of the two males always left the spot and the other began to call again. There was no typical sound production during such behaviour.

Figures

Figure 3. One sequence of the calling song of Neocicada sp. (A) Oscillogram and sonogram of an entire call; (B) three successive echemes of part A; (C) portion of part B; (D) seven successive pulses of part B.