Singing and cryptic speciation insects.

Biologists have long known of the existence of 'inaudible' songs in insects, but recent work has shown such substrate-borne or near-field signals to be virtually ubiquitous, and often correlated with high numbers of sibling species. In a sexual context, silent singing has the formidable advantage of privacy: neither predators nor sexual competitors can listen and disrupt. Privacy enhances species recognition by promoting signal complexity. It also encourages the evolution of intricate signals in females as well as males, leading to obligatory dueting behavior during pair formation. Current evidence suggests that song divergence in dueting taxa can facilitate rapid, sympatric speciation.

[1]  Glenn K. Morris,et al.  Calling display and mating behaviour of Copiphora rhinoceros Pictet (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) , 1980, Animal Behaviour.

[2]  R. Butlin,et al.  Fitness consequences of potential assortative mating inside and outside a hybrid zone in Chorthippus parallelus (Orthoptera: Acrididae): implications for reinforcement and sexual selection theory , 1992 .

[3]  T. J. Walker,et al.  Character Displacement and Acoustic Insects , 1974 .

[4]  A. D. Winter,et al.  The genetic basis and evolution of acoustic mate recognition signals in a Ribautodelphax planthopper (Homoptera, Delphacidae) 1. The female call , 1992 .

[5]  H. C. BENNET-CLARK,et al.  Acoustics of Insect Song , 1971, Nature.

[6]  M. Kirkpatrick.  SEXUAL SELECTION BY FEMALE CHOICE IN POLYGYNOUS ANIMALS , 1987 .

[7]  H. A. Orr,et al.  PATTERNS OF SPECIATION IN DROSOPHILA , 1989, Evolution; international journal of organic evolution.

[8]  C. S. Henry,et al.  SIBLING SPECIES, CALL DIFFERENCES, AND SPECIATION IN GREEN LACEWINGS (NEUROPTERA: CHRYSOPIDAE: CHRYSOPERLA) , 1985, Evolution; international journal of organic evolution.

[9]  T. Wood.  Diversity in the New World Membracidae , 1993 .

[10]  R. Butlin.  Species, Speciation, and Reinforcement , 1987, The American Naturalist.

[11]  M. Claridge.  Acoustic recognition signals: barriers to hybridization in Homoptera Auchenorrhyncha , 1990 .

[12]  A. Houde.  Evolution by Sexual Selection: What Can Population Comparisons Tell Us? , 1993, The American Naturalist.

[13]  M. M. Wells,et al.  Geographical variation in the song of Chrysoperla plorabunda (Neuroptera : Chrysopidae) in North America , 1990 .

[14]  R. Hoy,et al.  Hawaiian courtship songs: evolutionary innovation in communication signals of Drosophila. , 1988, Science.

[15]  M. Keese,et al.  HOST‐PLANT‐INDUCED ASSORTATIVE MATING IN ENCHENOPA TREEHOPPERS , 1990, Evolution; international journal of organic evolution.

[16]  M. M. Wells,et al.  Hidden taxonomic diversity within Chrysoperla plorabunda (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae): two new species based on courtship songs , 1993 .

[17]  J. Sivinski,et al.  Acoustic courtship signals in the Caribbean fruit fly, Anastrepha suspensa (Loew) , 1984, Animal Behaviour.

[18]  A. Knight,et al.  Drumming of Four North American Euholognathan Stonefly Species, and a New Complex Signal Pattern in Nemoura spiniloba Jewett (Plecoptera: Nemouridae) , 1991 .

[19]  T. G. Forrest.  Power output and efficiency of sound production by crickets , 1989 .

[20]  D. Otte.  Evolution of Cricket Songs , 1992 .

[21]  A. Templeton,et al.  Genetic Revolutions in Relation to Speciation Phenomena: The Founding of New Populations , 1984 .

[22]  R. E. Hunt.  Role of Vibrational Signals in Mating Behavior of Spissistilus festinus (Homoptera: Membracidae) , 1993 .

[23]  R. Hoy,et al.  High-frequency clicks of Hawaiian picture-winged Drosophila species , 1989, Animal Behaviour.

[24]  W. Bailey.  Acoustic Behaviour of Insects: An Evolutionary Perspective , 1990 .

[25]  H. Bennet-Clark,et al.  Species and sex-specific songs and courtship behaviour in the genus Zaprionus (Diptera-Drosophilidae) , 1980, Animal Behaviour.

[26]  M. M. Wells,et al.  THE ROLE OF COURTSHIP SONGS IN REPRODUCTIVE ISOLATION AMONG POPULATIONS OF GREEN LACEWINGS OF THE GENUS CHRYSOPERLA (NEUROPTERA: CHRYSOPIDAE) , 1992, Evolution; international journal of organic evolution.

[27]  M. M. Wells.  Laboratory hybridization in green lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae: Chrysoperla): evidence for genetic incompatibility , 1993 .

[28]  C. Henry.  The Importance of Low-Frequency, Substrate-Borne Sounds in Lacewing Communication (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) , 1980 .