Anatomic and acoustic sexual dimorphism in the sound emission system of Phoenicoprocta capistrata (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae) |
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Authors: | Laura Rodríguez-Loeches Alejandro Barro Martha Pérez Frank Coro |
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Institution: | (1) Departamento Biología Animal y Humana, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de La Habana, Havana, Cuba |
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Abstract: | Both sexes of Phoenicoprocta capistrata have functional tymbals. The scanning electron microscopy revealed differences in the morphology of these organs in males
and females. Male tymbals have a well-developed striated band, constituted by 21 ± 2 regularly arranged striae whereas female
tymbals lack a striated band. This type of sexual dimorphism is rare in Arctiidae. The recording of the sound produced by
moths held by the wings revealed that while males produced trains of pulses organized in modulation cycles, females produced
clicks at low repetition rate following very irregular patterns. Statistically, there are differences between sexes in terms
of the duration of pulses, which were 355 ± 24 μs in the case of males and 289 ± 29 μs for females. The spectral characteristics
of the pulses also show sexual dimorphism. Male pulses are more tuned (Q
10 = 5.2 ± 0.5) than female pulses (Q
10 = 2.7 ± 0.5) and have a higher best frequency (42 ± 1 kHz vs. 29 ± 2 kHz). To our knowledge, this is the first report on
an arctiid moth showing sexual dimorphism in tymbal’s anatomy that leads to a best frequency dimorphism. Males produce sound
at mating attempts. The sounds recorded during mating are modulation cycles with the same spectral characteristics as those
recorded when males are held by the wings. The morphological and acoustic features of female tymbals could indicate a process
of degeneration and adaptation to conditions under which the emission of complex patterns is not necessary.
Frank Coro no longer works at Universidad de La Habana. |
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Keywords: | Arctiidae Phoenicoprocta Sexual dimorphism Tymbal Sound emission |
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