Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Science 23 October 1981:
Vol. 214. no. 4519, pp. 464 - 466
DOI: 10.1126/science.214.4519.464
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Articles

Vibratory Communication Through Living Plants by a Tropical Wandering Spider

JEROME S. ROVNER 1 and FRIEDRICH G. BARTH 1

1 Zoologisches Institut, J. W. Goethe-Universität, D-6 Franlkfurt, West Germany

Female Cupiennius salei pheromone on banana and Agave plants elicits patterned oscillations by the male. Resulting pulse trains of vibrations through the leaf average 76 hertz. The brief vibratory response by the otherwise immobile female hidden up to at least 1 meter away on another leaf guides the male across the plant to her location. Reciprocal signaling continues in the presence of random noise that masks the male's airborne sounds.

Submitted on April 3, 1981
Revised on June 22, 1981


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Agonistic signals received by an arthropod filiform hair allude to the prevalence of near-field sound communication.
R. D Santer and E. A Hebets (2008)
Proc R Soc B 275, 363-368
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Viscoelastic nanoscale properties of cuticle contribute to the high-pass properties of spider vibration receptor (Cupiennius salei Keys).
M. E McConney, C. F Schaber, M. D Julian, F. G Barth, and V. V Tsukruk (2007)
J R Soc Interface 4, 1135-1143
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Sexual selection in the wolf spider Hygrolycosa rubrofasciata: female preference for drum duration and pulse rate.
S. Parri, R. V. Alatalo, J. S. Kotiaho, J. Mappes, and A. Rivero (2002)
Behav. Ecol. 13, 615-621
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Vibration and Animal Communication: A Review.
P. S. M. Hill (2001)
Integr. Comp. Biol. 41, 1135-1142
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Bat Predation and Its Influence on Calling Behavior in Neotropical Katydids.
J. J. BELWOOD and G. K. MORRIS (1987)
Science 238, 64-67
   Abstract »    PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)