Unique wings allow one type of male tree cricket to hum a different sort of tune — one that encompasses a wide range of pitches. The discovery could mean that these males are saying a lot more than previously thought, and that potential mates might be listening for these notes.
“The frequencies might be carrying some information about the condition of the male. An insect that is able to sing faster, and hence at a higher frequency, might actually be quite well fed, or he’s in a nice warm place you might want to be in,” says Natasha Mhatre of the University of Bristol in England. “You now have to ask: ‘What kind of information is that frequency carrying?’”
Crickets produce sound by rubbing their wings together. For most crickets — including field and bush crickets — males can produce only one musical note. Generally, the pitch of the male’s song is directly related to his size. Researchers believe that when females scout for a potential mate, they tend to be drawn to songs of deeper frequency or pitch, which are produced by larger crickets.