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1 March 2012 An Experimental Test of the Seismic Behaviors of Antispila Nysaefoliella (Lepidoptera: Heliozelidae) to Vibrational Stimuli
Candace Low
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

This study tested the sensitivity of the tupelo leafminer, Antispila nysaefoliella, to vibrational cues and whether their unique behaviors, first reported by Low (2008), may be elicited by the frequencies matching those of parasitic wasps. In the tick behavior, a larva ticks its abdomen back and forth rhythmically, and in the rattle behavior, the larva rattles its abdomen in short rapid pulses. To test the specificity of these behaviors to vibrational cues, computer-generated signals of pure tone frequencies ranging from 1–6 kHz were played to the entire leaf of solitary larvae through airborne signal transmission. The experiment demonstrated that the larvae of A. nysaefoliella responded to all frequencies with wriggling movements, but ticked only in response to the frequencies that matched those generated by parasitoid probing activity. Rattling behavior was rarely elicited.

Candace Low "An Experimental Test of the Seismic Behaviors of Antispila Nysaefoliella (Lepidoptera: Heliozelidae) to Vibrational Stimuli," Florida Entomologist 95(1), 16-20, (1 March 2012). https://doi.org/10.1653/024.095.0103
Published: 1 March 2012
KEYWORDS
anti-parasitoid
defense
host-parasitoid
plant-insect
signals
sound playback
vibrations
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