Vibrational Communication

Insects are small life forms in large macrocosms, and therefore require specific methods of communication to overcome the relatively large distances separating individuals from mates, food resources and optimal habitats. This small size poses the inherent problem of separation of the sexes by relatively huge distances. A voluminous literature exists on how various groups have evolved tactics and systems, largely acoustical, chemical or visual, to insure effective mate finding. The large diversity of insects suggests that other exciting and dynamic systems of communication may await discovery.

Intersexual communication using low- frequency, substrate-borne vibrations (Table 8) is a mode of communication that has long been recognized, but little explored in arthropods such as scorpions, spiders and insects. Only in the past few decades has there been much effort to differentiate this mode from air-borne sound communication, determine how widespread it is in insects and to explore its...