Bioacoustics of Cardiodactylus muiri

Groups of singing males (three or more) distant by ca. 50 cm to one meter, are commonly found during afternoon on large tree trunks above three meters high (Fig. 2). They sit on the bark surface and sometimes in crevices of the bark or of epiphytes. Songs were not heard during night, even when habitats with singing males heard during the day were visited after sunset. It could indicate that the species is diurnal or crepuscular and that the formed couples hide at night for mating. ... The calling song of C. muiri (Fig. 4) consists of only one long syllable. The song bouts are rather irregular, which disqualifies them as echemes. At 26 °C (MNHN-EO-ENSIF4405, measurement of 28 syllables) the call duration is 38 ± 11.4 ms (mean ± SD), with a period of 4.78 s ± 3.83 s, giving a syllable duty cycle of 8%. The dominant frequency is 11.98 ± 0.24 kHz, which is rather low for the genus and corresponds to the third peak of the frequency spectrum, the two first peaks being little marked.

Distribution. Indonesia , Maluku islands ( Ambon , Seram, Buru ), Kai Islands, South-west part of New Guinea (surroundings of Kumawa and Kaimana). New records: Indonesia , West Papua : Nouvelle-Guinée [New Guinea], Kumawa, -4.0646111 133.037111 ( KUM 3 ), 82 m , forêt littorale sur karst [littoral forest on karst], ligne de crête, 13–15.XI.2014 , T. Robillard : 1 male (LEN2014-TR606), jour [day], tronc chandelle [trunk of dead tree], molecular sample C158 (MNHN-E0- ENSIF4179); 1 female (LEN2014-TR582), nuit [night], litière [leaf litter], vidéo ponte dans racine 8 PM [video of oviposition in root] (MNHN); 1 female (LEN2014-TR583), nuit, litière, vidéo ponte dans racine 8 PM (MNHN); 1 juvenile (LEN2014-TR569), nuit (MNHN). Nouvelle-Guinée, Kumawa, -4.0688333 133.036444 (KUM2), 27 m , forêt littorale karstique sur pente, jour, tronc chandelle, 11–17.XI.2014 , T. Robillard: 1 male (LEN2014-TR625) (MZB); 1 male (LEN2014-TR587), enregistrement appel en captivité [recording of calling song in captivity] Take Pap 122 (MNHN-EO-ENSIF4403) ; 1 juvenile (LEN2014-TR595), jour, litière (MNHN); Nouvelle-Guinée, Kumawa, -4.0518611 133.066083 (KUM5), 87 m , forêt sur pente en amont de la rivière, 16–17.XI.2014 , T. Robillard: 1 male (LEN2014-TR657), enregistrement appel en semi-captivité Takes Pap 142-143 ( MNHN-EO- ENSIF 4404 ) ; 1 male (LEN2014-TR654), enregistrement appel en semi-captivité Takes Pap 140-141 ( MNHN-EO- ENSIF 4405 ); Nouvelle-Guinée , Kumawa , -4.0555 133.066333 ( KUM 4 ), 47 m , forêt littorale karstique sur pente, 16.XI.2014 , T. Robillard : 1 male (LEN2014-TR617), molecular sample C160 (MZB); 1 female (LEN2014- TR655), mort élevage (MZB); 1 female (LEN2014-TR615), nuit, tronc de pandanus h= 1.80 m (MZB); 1 female (LEN2014-TR616), nuit, tronc de pandanus h= 1.80 m (MNHN); Nouvelle-Guinée, Kaimana, -3.643667 133.757028 ( KAI 3 ), 200 m , forêt littorale sur pente, 19.X.2014 , 1 female (LEN2014-TR54), jour, plante, molecular sample C150 (MNHN-EO-ENSIF4164). Indonesia , Kei Eil. [ Kai Islands ], Gn. [ Gunung ] Daab [ Pulau Kai-besar ], 1922, H. C. Siebers : 4 males, #79, #131, #112, #121; 1 female #138 (MNHN); 1 male , #131, identified Cardiodactylus haani Ss [ Saussure ] by Lucien Chopard (MZB-ORTH10475).

Life history traits and habitats. C. muiri lives in dense forested habitats on tree trunks of various sizes or on dead trees still standing ( Fig. 1 ). Groups of singing males (three or more) distant by ca. 50 cm to one meter, are commonly found during afternoon on large tree trunks above three meters high ( Fig. 2 ). They sit on the bark surface and sometimes in crevices of the bark or of epiphytes. Songs were not heard during night, even when habitats with singing males heard during the day were visited after sunset. It could indicate that the species is diurnal or crepuscular and that the formed couples hide at night for mating. However, the species seems to have a low-light preference, given that light intensity under forest cover is limited during afternoon and in the confined habitats ( Fig. 1 ). Females are found ovipositing during early night in the leaf litter or in roots near the ground ( Fig. 3 ). Calling song. The calling song of C. muiri ( Fig. 4 ) consists of only one long syllable. The song bouts are rather irregular, which disqualifies them as echemes. At 26 °C (MNHN-EO-ENSIF4405, measurement of 28 syllables) the call duration is 38 ± 11.4 ms (mean ± SD), with a period of 4.78 s ± 3.83 s , giving a syllable duty cycle of 8%. The dominant frequency is 11.98 ± 0.24 kHz, which is rather low for the genus and corresponds to the third peak of the frequency spectrum, the two first peaks being little marked.