Green stink bug Nezara viridula detects differences in amplitude between courtship song vibrations at stem and petiolus

Abstract

Green stink bug Nezara viridula courtship songs are transmitted through plants as substrate vibrations. The amplitude of the vibrations is different at different distances from the source of vibration and at different locations on the plant. Amplitudes of the local vibration were measured on stem and petioli of the bean plant (Phaseolus vulgaris) with a Laser-Doppler vibrometer. Differences of the amplitudes of vibration between adjacent points around the nodes were large enough to release differential nerve activities of vibration receptor cells of different legs. There was no correlation between the signal amplitude and the distance from the singing bug, however; the differences in amplitudes of vibrations between the stem and the adjacent petioli of leaves potentially permitted direction finding in the green stink bug males.