SPECIES FOUND IN NICARAGUA

There are three males singing on this page.                                                            

1) nigricornis group male has a constant trill    

 2)  varicornis group male makes one short trill 

  3) rileyi group male making slow chirps                                                          

If you have any data, photos or recordings of these species that were found in Nicaragua in January 2010, please contact me at:  oecanthinae@gmail.com

To be determined species from Nicaragua:

   This male has translucent limbs and antennae and gold on its head -- but appears to be of the nigricornis group.

Nica.sp.g

Probable nigricornis group male - sang at night on low vegetation.

(PLACEHOLDER -- Constant trilling)

This waveform is from a recording made of the male in the above photos while singing at night.  Unfortunately, a thermometer being used was giving incorrect readings -- however the temperature was estimated to be 72 - 80 degrees F  or (23 - 27 C).  The pulse rate on this waveform is 80 pulses per second.                                                                                                                                                                  Recordings with exact temperatures are expected to be obtained in 2011. 

Also found at Domitila Reserve in Nicaragua - a varicornis group male. 

Nica.sp.f

Note the orange on the head and joints -- and pale antennae.

Frontal view of the base of the antennae.

Also sang at night on low vegetation.

Note the female to the left of the male behind the leaf.  You can see her 3 right-sided limbs and her ovipositor.

(One brief burst of trilling - hope to have better recordings in 2011. Five separate recordings all contain only these short bursts of trilling.  The recordings were made during a very windy day and caused a great deal of 'noise'; therefore, no waveforms are available at this time.  (While this male was making these isolated short bursts of trilling, it is entirely possible this species has the same continuous trilling heard in other varicornis species.)

This young nymph was found within 2 feet of the above adult male.  The pattern on the top surface of the abdomen matches varicornis.

Below:  This male was found 3 feet above ground singing from a well-exposed hibiscus-type shrub alongside a well-traveled path at a resort complex.  Note the golden head.

Nica.sp.h

Here is a close-up view of the antennal markings:  Black ovals on white backgrounds on the 1st and 2d segments.

(Relatively slow chirping - expecially considering the temperature was 75 - 80 degrees)

Below are waveforms of three species:  Snowy, Alexander's and the male found in Nicaragua on hibiscus.  The top waveforms are a series of chirps; the bottom waveforms are the number of pulses in a single chirp.  One can see the differences in the number of pulses with each chirp for these three species.

  Nica.sp.h    The top waveform shows  15 seconds of chirping; the bottom shows a single burst/chirp

FOR COMPARISONS:

O. fultoni (Snowy tree cricket) waveforms  --   Top  10 seconds of chirping;  Bottom  3 chirps

 O. alexanderi (Alexander's tree cricket )  14 seconds of chirping then 1 burst/chirp

This niveus group female was found under a huge Guasimos tree -- she is possibly Oecanthus leptogrammus.

Note the whitish background and black marking on the antennal segment.

Another view of the whitish background and black mark on the 1st antennal segment.