The role of courtship songs in reproductive isolation among populations of green lacewings of the genus Chrysoperla (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)

Abstract

Male and female lacewings tremulate during courtship, establishing duets that always precede copulation. Three distinct courtship songs were found. Analysis of five features of the songs for individuals collected from Connecticut, Idaho, Oregon and California showed few differences within song morphs, but sympatric song morphs differed significantly in temporal features of the songs and their mode of presentation. Females strongly prefer to duet with recordings of males of their own song type and usually showed no responses to songs of other types. Thus, song differences are effective barriers to reproduction between the sympatric morphs Chrysoperla plorabunda may in fact comprise three true species. -from Authors