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The auditory system of non-calling grasshoppers (Melanoplinae: Podismini) and the evolutionary regression of their tympanal ears

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Abstract

Reduction of tympanal hearing organs is repeatedly found amongst insects and is associated with weakened selection for hearing. There is also an associated wing reduction, since flight is no longer required to evade bats. Wing reduction may also affect sound production. Here, the auditory system in four silent grasshopper species belonging to the Podismini is investigated. In this group, tympanal ears occur but sound signalling does not. The tympanal organs range from fully developed to remarkably reduced tympana. To evaluate the effects of tympanal regression on neuronal organisation and auditory sensitivity, the size of wings and tympana, sensory thresholds and sensory central projections are compared. Reduced tympanal size correlates with a higher auditory threshold. The threshold curves of all four species are tuned to low frequencies with a maximal sensitivity at 3–5 kHz. Central projections of the tympanal nerve show characteristics known from fully tympanate acridid species, so neural elements for tympanal hearing have been strongly conserved across these species. The results also confirm the correlation between reduction in auditory sensitivity and wing reduction. It is concluded that the auditory sensitivity of all four species may be maintained by stabilising selective forces, such as predation.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Anja Klöpfel and Jan Sradnick, University of Göttingen, for repeatedly collecting and sending Peripodisma tymphii from Greece. We thank Klaus Riede for the stimulating discussions. We appreciate the help of Robert Hickson and the two anonymous referees in the improvement of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biology/Zoology, Animal Behavior, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustraße 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany

    Gerlind U. C. Lehmann

  2. Department of Biology, Behavioural Physiology, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstraße 43, 10115, Berlin, Germany

    Gerlind U. C. Lehmann & Sandra Berger

  3. School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, 1711 South Rural Road, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA

    Sandra Berger

  4. Department of Zoology, Functional Zoomorphology, Stockholm University, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden

    Johannes Strauß

  5. Friedensallee 37, 14532, Stahnsdorf, Germany

    Arne W. Lehmann

  6. Institut für Biologie-Neurobiologie, Fachbereich Biologie, Chemie, Pharmazie, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 28-30, 14195, Berlin, Germany

    Hans-Joachim Pflüger

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  1. Gerlind U. C. Lehmann
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Correspondence to Gerlind U. C. Lehmann.

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Lehmann, G.U.C., Berger, S., Strauß, J. et al. The auditory system of non-calling grasshoppers (Melanoplinae: Podismini) and the evolutionary regression of their tympanal ears. J Comp Physiol A 196, 807–816 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-010-0560-2

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