Bioacoustics of Popplepsalta granitica

Etymology . This species has a strong association with both granitic soils and the ironbark E. graniticus , at least in the area of the type locality and Latin granitica therefore seems appropriate. Notes on Geographical Variation . Specimens with a similar calling song structure and morphology to P. granitica have recently been collected from the Kimberley region of Western Australia . Preliminary information suggests that this series of specimens may belong to an additional undescribed species or subspecies; however further song recordings from the Kimberley region and adjacent parts of the Northern Territory would be required to make an informed judgment on their taxonomic status. As a consequence, these specimens are not treated further in this paper.

Distribution and Ecology ( Figure 28 ). This species occurs in northern Queensland the Northern Territory , from near Laura in Cape York Peninsular south through the Wet Tropics, from The Palmer River district (including Spear Creek) south to Mount Garnet, and west through the Mount Surprise and Georgetown districts subcoastally along the southern edge of the southern edge of the Gulf of Carpentaria extending at least as far as Cape Crawford. A series of specimens from the central northern area of the Northern Territory from near Katherine and Tindal are also considered likely to represent this species; however, a calling song recording has not been obtained from this area. Populations occur in rocky areas and on flats, typically in association with ironbarks, such as E. graniticus in north-eastern Queensland . Adults typically occur on the upper branches and in foliage of medium-sized trees. They are present in December and January, with peak numbers between mid-December and New Year. Geological and Pedological Associations . In north-eastern Queensland this species most commonly occurs in sandy loams derived from granite. Calling Song ( Fig. 2H , 29–30 ). Pauropsalta granitica produces a distinctive song with a two-part introductory component and a lilting component. The introductory component is usually produced at the onset of calling, or after a calling male is disturbed during production of the lilting component. The first part of this component is relatively simple, comprising a brief bout of short echemes (5–8 syllables, 0.046 –0.092 s), punctuated by silences ( 0.051 –0.095 s) (all statistics, n=11 individuals). The second part of the introductory component comprises a sustained buzz of variable duration ( 0.778 –4.870 s). Typically, this second part is produced in-between bouts of the lilting component. The lilting component comprises a long echeme (15–47 syllables, 0.143 –0.499 s, n=8) followed by a silence ( 0.051 –0.074 s), a short echeme (3–5 syllables, 0.034 –0.062 s) and another silence ( 0.058 –0.104 s). Occasionally, during extending bouts of lilting, an additional short echeme (4–5 syllables, 0.043 –0.065 s) is added after the second silence. Phrases with this additional echeme are apparent in a single recording from near Mount Garnet and in one (of eight) recordings from Mount Carbine only. The calling song has a phrase repetition rate of 0.290 –0.739 s, syllable repetition rate of 80–100 Hz, a frequency plateau extending from 10.0–16.0 kHz and a highest amplitude dominant frequency between 11.4–13.2 kHz. No instances of male–female duetting have been recorded from this species thus far.