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Journal of Experimental Biology 130,107-119 (1987)
Published by Company of Biologists 1987

The Efficiency of Sound Production in Two Cricket Species, Gryllotalpa Australis and Teleogryllus Commodus (Orthoptera: Grylloidea)

MARK W. KAVANAGH ¹

¹ Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia

1. Males of Gryllotalpa australis (Erichson) (Gryllotalpidae) and Teleogryllus commodus (Walter) (Gryllidae) produced their calling songs while confined in respirometers.

2. G. australis males used oxygen during calling at a mean rate of 4.637 ml O₂ h^-1, equivalent to 27.65 mW of metabolic energy, which was 13 times higher than the resting metabolic rate. T. commodus males used oxygen during calling at a rate of 0.728 ml O₂ h^-1, equivalent to 4.34 mW, which was four times the resting metabolic rate.

3. The sound field during calling by males represents a sound power output of 0.27 mW for G. australis and l.51 x l0.3 mW for T. commodus.

4. The efficiency of sound production was 1.05% for males of G. australis and 0.05% for males of T. commodus. Comparison with other insect species suggests that none is more than a few percent efficient in sound production.

Key words: cricket, mole cricket, efficiency, sound production

Accepted on February 27, 1987