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Active Space and the Role of Amplitude in Plant-Borne Vibrational Communication

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Studying Vibrational Communication

Part of the book series: Animal Signals and Communication ((ANISIGCOM,volume 3))

Abstract

Unlike airborne signals, substrate-borne vibrational signals are confined within the size and shape of their medium of communication, which in the case of small arthropods often coincides with the host plant. By following the substrate continuity, a vibrational signal creates a more or less complex active space network that enables communication between individuals. Due to the heterogeneity of plants, physical properties of the substrate can vary in the efficiency of signal transmission and in the diffusion of signals along the tissues. Under such circumstances, the identification and location of a potential partner may be a difficult task. Amplitude cues can be of great importance in orientation to the source of a vibrational signal by providing information about both direction and distance. As examples, we present two case studies on mating behavior of a leafhopper and a planthopper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sustainable Agro-Ecosystems and Bioresources, Fondazione Edmund Mach, via Mach 1, 38010, San Michele all’Adige, Trento, Italy

    Valerio Mazzoni, Anna Eriksson & Gianfranco Anfora

  2. Department C.D.S.L., Section of Agricultural Entomology, University of Pisa, via S. Michele degli Scalzi 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy

    Anna Eriksson & Andrea Lucchi

  3. Department of Entomology, National Institute of Biology, Večna pot 111, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Meta Virant-Doberlet

Authors
  1. Valerio Mazzoni
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  2. Anna Eriksson
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  3. Gianfranco Anfora
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  4. Andrea Lucchi
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  5. Meta Virant-Doberlet
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Correspondence to Valerio Mazzoni .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, USA

    Reginald B. Cocroft

  2. Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Matija Gogala

  3. Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA

    Peggy S.M. Hill

  4. Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung an der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany

    Andreas Wessel

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Mazzoni, V., Eriksson, A., Anfora, G., Lucchi, A., Virant-Doberlet, M. (2014). Active Space and the Role of Amplitude in Plant-Borne Vibrational Communication. In: Cocroft, R., Gogala, M., Hill, P., Wessel, A. (eds) Studying Vibrational Communication. Animal Signals and Communication, vol 3. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-43607-3_8

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