Macrosteles fieberi (Edwards, 1889)

Tishechkin, D. Yu., 2024, New data on the male calling signals of Palearctic Deltocephalinae (Homoptera: Cicadellidae), Russian Entomological Journal 33 (1), pp. 9-21 : 13

11. Macrosteles fieberi (Edwards, 1889)

Figs 42–49 .

MATERIAL. Moscow Oblast, Voskresenskiy Region, environs of Beloozerskiy Town, the bog in the floodplain of the Moskva River near Mikhalyovo Village , 20.VIII.2021, signals of four males recorded at 26 °C .

SIGNALS. The male calling signal is a phrase consisting of two or three different pulse sequences ( Figs 42–45 ). The duration of the first sequence is 1.5– 3.0 s, the pulse repetition period in it is about 120–150 ms; the pulse temporal pattern is very variable ( Fig. 46 , the beginning of the oscillogram). Sometimes this sequence is reduced to a few pulses or is absent. The duration of the second sequence is about 0.8– 1.2 s; it consists of pure-tone pulses following each other with a period of 39–41 ms ( Figs 46–48 ). The duration of the third sequence is 1.8– 2.7 s; it consists of pulses with a noise frequency spectrum, following each other with a period of 31–36 ms ( Figs 47, 49 ). The total duration of a phrase consisting of three parts is 5.0– 6.7 s. If the first part of the phrase is missing, it is reduced to 2.5– 4.0 s.

REMARKS. Calling signals of four species of the genus Macrosteles Fieber, 1866 from European Russia and two morphologically similar forms of Macrosteles fascifrons (Stål, 1858) from North America were previously described [ Purcell, Loher, 1976; Tishechkin, 2000]. Judging by these data, calling signals in representatives of this genus are characterized by great diversity and, as a rule, a complex temporal pattern, and are often completely dissimilar in different species.

A remarkable feature of signals of M. fieberi is a combination of pure-tone and noise components.

Figures

Figs 38–49. Male calling signals of Deltocephalinae. 38–41 — Tamaricades decoratus; 42–49 — Macrosteles fieberi. 38–43, 46–49 — oscillograms, 44–45 — oscillogram and sonogram of the same signal at the same speeds. Faster oscillograms of the parts of signals indicated as “40–41” and “46–49” are given under the same numbers. Рис. 38–49. ПриЗывные сигналы самцов Deltocephalinae. 38–41 — Tamaricades decoratus; 42–49 — Macrosteles fieberi. 38–43, 46–49 — осциллограммы, 44–45 — осциллограмма и сонограмма одного и того же сигнала при одной скорости раЗвертки. Фрагменты сигналов, помеченные цифрами “40–41” и “46–49”, представлены при большей скорости раЗвёртки на осциллограммах под соответствующими номерами.