Insect Sounds and Communication: Physiology, Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution

Abstract

While we may have always assumed that insects employ auditory communication, our understanding of it has been impeded by various technical challenges. In comparison to the study of an insect's visual and olfactory expression, research in the area of acoustic communication has lagged behind. Filling this void, Insect Sounds and Communication is the first multi-author volume to present a comprehensive portrait on this elusive subject. The text includes 32 chapters written by top experts from all corners of the globe. Divided into two major sections, this groundbreaking text starts with a general introduction to insect sounds and communication that leads into a discussion of the technical aspects of recording and analyzing sounds. It then considers the functioning of the sense organs and sensory systems involved in acoustic behavior, and goes on to investigate the impact that variables such as body size and temperature have on insect sounds and vibrations. Several chapters are devoted to various evolutionary and ecological aspects of insect communication, and include rare information on seldom-studied groups, including Neuropterida and Plecoptera. The second section of the book includes chapters on communication and song repertoires of a wide diversity of insects, including Heteroptera, Auchenorrhyncha, Psylloidea, Diptera, Coleoptera, and Hymenoptera . Insect Sounds and Communication is packaged with a DVD, which holds sound and video recordings of many of the insects discussed throughout the text, as well as many full color illustrations not included in the printed text. The DVD also features an unabridged discussion in French of the contribution of the famous French cicadologist, Michel Boulard.