Free-flight phonotaxis in a parasitoid fly: behavioural thresholds, relative attraction and susceptibility to noise.
The phonotactic capacity of tachinid flies to acoustically detect and localize a sound source simulating their cricket host was investigated in a large flight room. Acoustic measurements were performed to estimate the actual stimulus delivered to the flies, revealing highly heterogeneous sound fields. When presented with a simulated cricket song in red or infrared light conditions, the flies readily flew to the sound source and landed on it. Behavioural phonotactic thresholds were established as a function of carrier frequency and were found to coincide well with the frequency of the host's natural song (4.5-5.2 kHz). Experiments revealed that the same range of frequencies is preferentially attractive to the free-flying flies, and that the reliability of signal detection in the presence of noise is best at behaviourally relevant frequencies.
Ramsauer
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Zoologisches Institut, Universität Zürich, Switzerland.
Robert
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D
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D004175:Diptera / Q000502:physiology*; D005426:Flight, Animal; D006135:Gryllidae / Q000469:parasitology / Q000502:physiology*; D008027:Light; D008029:Lighting