Acoustic Communication in Periodical Cicadas: Neuronal Responses to Songs of Sympatric Species

Periodical cicadas, Magicicada septendecim and M. cassini, occupy the same habitat and the males’ singing overlaps, often forming a chorus, which in M. cassini is synchronized. The calling songs of the males differ in their sound frequency spectra and in the temporal pattern. Playback of conspecific calling songs in the field initiated singing in both species. In M. cassini the initial tick part of the song stimulated males to synchronize their songs with the chorus; the final buzz part attracted preferably females by flight phonotaxis.