Stridulation in Aphodius dung beetles: Songs and morphology of stridulatory organs in North American Aphodius species (Scarabaeidae)

The acoustic behaviour of four Aphodius dung beetle species from the Pacific Northwest of the USA was investigated. Male Aphodius produce substrate vibrations when they meet a conspecific female in a dung pat. The temporal structure of the substrate vibrations and the stridulatory organs are described. The vibrations are species-specific songs that are emitted during courtship. The stridulatory organ is of the abdomino-alary type in the investigated species. Morphological differences with regard to the detailed structure are present.