Daza montezuma (Walker)

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 : 380-382

DAZA MONTEZUMA ( FIG. 1 )

Seasonal rhythm. From April to May, end of the dry season.

Nycthemeral rhythm. Irregular activity from about 8.10 a.m. to 6.30 p.m.

Calling site and calling posture. Called on the trunks or on under sides of principal stems of various trees. During sound production, males raised their abdomen and lifted up their wings upon their body without any decoapitation with the mesonotum (thorax).

Calling song. Began with a soft, low and long buzzing (part A) lasting up to 50 s, and ended with an intensive sound phrase lasting about 20 s (part B) with amplitude modulations. Part A was sometimes lacking (see Behaviour). Part A was made up of groups of four distinct pulses with a repetition rate of 45 Hz. Part B consisted of a continuous train of pulses. Pulses were of similar length and produced with a frequency at about 200 Hz. Pulses of part B consisted of coherent oscillations at the dominant frequency band of about 2000 Hz.

Behaviour. Groups of three to five individuals staying at their calling site formed choruses. They were spaced with a 2–4 m minimal distance but may have occupied distinct trees. One male initiated the chorus. When this ‘leader’ male was producing part B of the call, surrounding males produced in reaction the same part B at the same time but not synchronously. So, surrounding males did not emit part A of the calling song. The ‘leader’ male was not always the same. Activity of one chorus centre stimulated the sound production of nearby groups. These intragroup and intergroup relationships led to the production of intensive choruses when the density of the species was high.

Figures

Figure 1. Calling song of Daza montezuma. (A) Oscillogram and sonogram of an entire call; (B) portion of part A; (C) portion of part B; (D) six successive pulses of part B.