Description of the drumming signal of Eoperla ochracea (Kolbe, 1885) (Plecoptera: Perlidae)

Abstract

Vibrational signals of both males and females of Eoperla ochracea are described from a southeastern Iberian Peninsula population. The signal comprises an ancestral percussive monophasic pattern composed by a sequence of beats with constant interbeat intervals, but those interbeat intervals in males are notably shorter than in females (mean: 27 ms in males versus 237 ms in females). Total number of beats and, consequently, total signal duration is variable. The signals of E. ochracea are compared with those of other European Perlidae species previously described and their differences are discussed.

Keywords:

• stonefly
• Eoperla ochracea
• vibrational communication
• Spain

Acknowledgements

The authors thank to José Enrique Larios for his help in the fieldwork.