Acoustic characteristics of sound produced by males of Bactrocera oleae change in the presence of conspecifics

Abstract

Abstract Males of the olive fruit fly Bactrocera oleae vibrate and stridulate their wings at dusk producing sounds different from flight sounds with no confirmed behavior role. We recorded and performed a temporal-spectral analysis of this sound. Sound produced by male wing vibration/stridulation consists of intermittent pulses of highly variable duration and of fundamental frequency of around 350 Hz. Flight sound has a much lower fundamental frequency of approximately 180 Hz. Males begin to display wing vibration and sound production at the beginning of their sexual maturity at the 5th day of their age. This behavior is more pronounced in the presence of another conspecific male and observed less in male–female pairs or in solitary males. Broadcasts of the recorded sound did not attract flies of either sex. The highest fundamental frequency was found in association with wing vibrations emitted by male–male pairs, followed by those emitted by male–female pairs and then solitary males, which showed the lowest frequency values. The mean pulse duration and interpulse interval were shorter in male–male pairs than in male–female pairs. We assume that the male wing vibration and the produced signal, apart from its possible role in the courtship of the females, could also be associated with male–male interactions for territorial and rival activities, for which further experiments are required.