Cicada Acoustic Communication

Cicadas are iconic insects that use conspicuously loud and often complexly structured stereotyped sound signals for mate attraction. Focusing on acoustic communication, we review the current data to address two major questions: How do males generate specific and intense acoustic signals and how is phonotactic orientation achieved? We first explain the structure of the sound producing apparatus, how the sound is produced and modulated and how the song pattern is generated. We then describe the organisation and the sensitivity of the auditory system. We will highlight the capabilities of the hearing system in frequency and time domains, and deal with the directionality of hearing, which provides the basis for phonotactic orientation. Finally, we focus on behavioural studies and what they have taught us about signal recognition.