Evolution of acoustic communication in the Gomphocerinae (Orthoptera: Caelifera: Acrididae)

Nattier, R., Robillard, T., Amedegnato, C., Couloux, A., Cruaud, C. & Desutter-Grandcolas, L. (2011). Evolution of acoustic communication in the Gomphocerinae (Orthoptera: Caelifera: Acrididae). - Zoologica Scripta, 40, 479-497. We used a phylogenetic analysis to study the communication behaviour in the Gomphocerinae (Insecta, Orthoptera, Acrididae), which are characterised by their stridulatory apparatus and a diversified acoustic repertoire. Song-emitting behaviour, together with the general description, temporal dimension and amplitude of signals were used to describe the calling song of 34 species, resulting in a matrix of 39 acoustic characters. A phylogeny using 59 gomphocerine species and two outgroups was built based on four mitochondrial markers and the acoustic characters. Based on acoustic character optimisations, ancestral calling song was reconstructed and the evolution of calling song is discussed, with a comparison to courtship behaviours. Our results show a dynamic process of calling song evolution and underline a balance between calling and courtship diversity leading to two mating strategies corresponding to two major clades in the phylogeny.