Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia, 43(3-4) 2000

Issue:

VOL 43(3-4) 2000

Keywords:

Cicada orni, calling song, ambient temperature, Portugal

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Effect of ambient air temperature on the calling song of Cicada orni Linnaeus, 1758 (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) in Portugal

• José Alberto QUARTAU
• Sofia SEABRA
• Allen SANBORN

Abstract:

Calling songs produced by males of Cicada orni LINNAEUS, 1758 from the locality of Crato (southern Portugal) were recorded in the field during July of 1999. A temporal song analysis was carried out to investigate the influence of the ambient air  temperature on the following parameters: echeme rate, echeme length, interecheme interwal and number of pulse units per echeme. A significant correlation was found between the temperature and the interecheme interval. When ambient air temperature rises from 26.5 to 41^oС the interecheme interval increases. This relation is not very strong but is statistically significant and confirms previous casual impressions collected in the field by the authors. As a result, the effect of the ambient air temperature on the calling song should be always taken into account when comparing recordings among populations of this cicada or among this and closely related species.