Bioacoustics of Amblycorypha zipticka

Description. — Individuals are typically green and exhibit characteristics of the rotundifolia complex (lateral lobe of pronotum with shallow humeral sinus and metasternal lobe wider than long; Walker et al. 2003 ). Morphological measurements ( x ̄ ± SE in mm, N) of females average PrnL : 5.6 ± 0.05, 11; PrnW : 3.9 ± 0.06, 11; TegL : 22.4 ± 0.31, 10; TegW : 6.6 ± 0.14, 11; FemL : 23.0 ± 0.24, 11; TibL : 24.2 ± 0.20, 11; OviL : 8.31 ± 0.08, 11. Male size measurements average PrnL : 5.0 ± 0.04, 28; PrnW : 3.8 ± 0.03, 28; TegL : 22.9 ± 0.18, 28; TegW : 7.2 ± 0.07, 28; FemL : 22.7 ± 0.17, 28; TibL : 24.5 ± 0.20, 28 (Table 1 ). Sex PrnL PrnW TegL TegW FemL TibL OviL Species Female A. monticola 6.02 a 4.10 a 25.10 a 8.18 a 24.20 a 24.90 9.95 a (0.04, 34) (0.03, 34) (0.18, 33) (0.07, 34) (0.18, 32) (0.23, 32) (0.08, 34) A. zipticka 5.62 b 3.90 b 22.40 b 6.63 b 23.00 b 24.20 8.31 b (0.05, 11) (0.06, 11) (0.31, 10) (0.14, 11) (0.24, 11) (0.20, 11) (0.08, 11) Male A. monticola 5.27 a 3.86 25.20 a 8.45 a 23.00 24.20 - (0.03, 61) (0.02, 61) (0.13, 61) (0.08, 61) (0.14, 57) (0.18, 56) - A. zipticka 4.98 b 3.79 22.90 b 7.20 b 22.70 24.50 - (0.04, 28) (0.03, 28) (0.18, 28) (0.07, 28) (0.17, 28) (0.20, 28) - * Comparisons of means within each sex were made for each morphological trait. Means within a column followed by different letters are significantly different (ANOVA, Tukey honest significant difference posthoc test, P <0.05). Male calling songs are composed of three acoustic elements: clicks, zips, and ticks. Clicks have 1–2 short impulse trains followed by a longer terminal train. Zips are each a single train of impulses. Click rate and zip rate change with temperature in linear relationships: click rate = 0.059 T- 0.010 and zip rate = 0.150 T + 0.052. Click rates are slower than zip rates (1.5 / s vs 3.8 / s at 25 ° C). The typical sequence of song elements during calling is a series of slow clicks that transition to a fast series of zips followed by multiple ticks.

Differential diagnosis. — The best way to distinguish A. zipticka from other members of the rotundifolia complex is by male calling song. The songs are multi-component and include clicks, zips, and ticks. Clicks have one or two brief impulse trains followed by a longer terminal train of impulses. Clicks temporally resemble song elements of other members of the group, but the relationships of click rate with temperature differ among all members of the complex east of the Mississippi River. Click rates of A. zipticka are 1.5 / s at 25 ° C compared to 3.3 / s for A. alexanderi , 10.0 / s for A. bartrami , 5.8 / s for A. carolina Spooner and Forrest 2023 , 11.6 / s for A. peedee Forrest 2023 , and 13.0 / s by male A. tallapoosa Forrest 2023 ( Walker et al. 2003 , Forrest et al. 2023 ). A. zipticka also produces two other sound elements while calling: zips and ticks. No other members of the rotundifolia complex produce zips, each a train of impulses caused by the impacts of the plectrum on a single tooth of the file. Locale might also be used to distinguish this species because it is only known from a single local population in Madison County, NC. However, we expect other undiscovered demes to occur in western North Carolina . Additionally, size could help distinguish A. zipticka from all other described members of the group because the mean measures of nearly all morphological characters are smaller than those of all other members of the rotundifolia complex. This species is known only from a single locality in Madison County, NC, despite extensive surveys in the area. The population was discovered by Tamara Goodman while surveying for populations of Scudderia septentrionalis ( Serville, 1838 ) . Interestingly, the calling song of S. septentrionalis contains similar acoustic elements (rasps and ticks; see Forrest and Goodman 2008 ) to the calling song of A. zipticka .