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Jeepers, Creepers! The Spring Bug Show, Part II: Love Songs (May 16, 2003, Two)

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Program Summary

In spring, a young man’s fancy turns to thoughts of love. And man is not alone! Insects around the world are trying to get dates. In fact, those crickets keeping you awake all summer are not rehearsing “Carmen”—they’re trying to impress the ladies.

The males of all sorts of species have particular tricks that they use to attract females, be it a brilliant plumage display, a special “dance,” a show of strength, or a flashy car. Insects use varying communication methods—ants touch, fireflies flash, bees wiggle, and many bugs use bad cologne, uh, I mean pheromones, various chemicals that can attract or repel. In many insect communities, “singing” well is considered by females to be a good indicator of the male’s husbandly qualities. Some sounds are quite loud, such as the pesky cricket and the annoying (to us) cicada; others are supersonic—so high that the human ear can’t detect them. Some bugs rub their legs together to produce a tune; others vibrate a membrane on their abdomen. There’s even a wood-eating beetle that knocks its head against the wall to signal that he needs a gal. Some leafhoppers and treehoppers are so tiny that females detect their songs more as vibrations that travel through the plant than actual sound. Entomologists today use a special laser called the Doppler Vibrometer to record the unheard noise; when amplified, the sounds cover the gamut from rhythmic dance beat to car alarm.

Insect songs are not just one-note tunes—they are layered with meaning. One part may say, “Here I am,” a second part may give the bug’s location (third leaf from the top), and another may say to other males, “Shut up, I’m singing here!” Each singing insect species has its own theme song so that there’s no mistaking who’s who out in the big backyard. Have you ever heard “I’ll Bee There”?

Guests

Dr. Gilbert Waldbauer, professor emeritus of entomology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Urbana, Illinois

Tom Turpin, professor of entomology and co-founder of the Purdue University Bug Bowl at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana

Randy Hunt, professor of biology at Indiana University Southeast in New Albany, Indiana

Book Discussed

Waldbauer, Gilbert. "What Good are Bugs: Insects in the Web of Life,” Harvard University Press, 2003

Related Links and Resources

The Amateur Entomologists’ Society Bug Club: Bug Identification
Entomological Society of America
Franklin Institute: Insects Hotlist

Insects.org: Bug Bios
Iowa State University, department of entomology: Insects on the Web
Iowa State University, department of entomology: Entomology Image Gallery
Purdue University, department of entomology: Bug Bowl
Science Friday, March 24 2000, Hour Two: The Spring Bug Show
Science Friday, March 21, 1997, Hour Two: Welcome to Spring Bug Show

For Discussion:

• What methods do insects use to communicate?
• What kinds of messages do they send?
• What are some things that fish, birds, and other animals do to attract mates?
• What are pheromones? How do insects use them?

Activities

Entom-ental journey. The first leg on the insect tour is the O. Orkin Insect Zoo, hosted by Mississippi State University. This is a fascinating site that covers every topic you could imagine about bugs. It’s heavy on text, but it’s so entertaining that you’ll want to read each page twice. There are photographs, diagrams, and links to sound bites and video clips. Information on insect songs is on the Insect Communication page, and cicadas and leaf hoppers can be found at Homoptera.

I’d like to teach the world to sing. Students get singing lessons at Vibrational Communication in Leafhoppers and Treehoppers, Phantastic Songs of the S.E. Asian Cicadas, and Insect Sound World: Songs of Crickets and Katydids from Japan. Have students compare and contrast some of the songs. They can also try their hands (or mouths) at reproducing some of the songs.

Sing it loud. The Insect World, a lesson plan from Discovery School, focuses on communication through sound. One activity has students creating sounds using their bodies only (no mouths).

Field work. After studying insect communication, take students on a local walkabout. Have them listen for sounds they think are made by insects and name the appropriate bug.

Use the search box below to perform a Google search within any of the specifc sites or general domains mentioned in this Activities section.

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