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AUDITORY THRESHOLD CHANGE IN SINGING CICADAS

Hennig, Weber, Huber

    The Journal of Experimental Biology
    |January 1, 1994
    PubMed
    Summary

    Singing cicadas reduce their hearing sensitivity by folding their tympanal membranes. This mechanism increases auditory thresholds by about 20 dB, allowing males to adjust hearing during sound production.

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    Area of Science:

    • Bioacoustics
    • Insect Physiology
    • Auditory Neuroscience

    Background:

    • Singing cicadas possess tympanal membranes for hearing.
    • Sound production in cicadas can interfere with auditory perception.
    • A mechanism for self-deafening during sound production is hypothesized.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the effect of tympanal membrane folding on hearing sensitivity in singing cicadas.
    • To determine the functional range of auditory threshold adjustment in cicadas.
    • To explore the neural control of tympanal membrane folding.

    Main Methods:

    • Electrophysiological recordings were used to measure auditory thresholds.
    • Nerve stimulation techniques were employed to induce tympanal membrane folding.
    • Auditory thresholds were assessed in two cicada species: Tibicen linnei and Okanagana rimosa.

    Main Results:

    • Tympanal membrane folding during singing increased auditory thresholds by approximately 20 dB in both species.
    • This threshold increase occurred across a broad frequency range (1-16 kHz) in Tibicen linnei.
    • Electrical stimulation of auditory nerves mimicked the tympanal folding observed during singing.

    Conclusions:

    • Cicada males actively adjust their auditory sensitivity via tympanal membrane folding.
    • This mechanism allows for a significant (approx. 20 dB) adjustment of hearing thresholds.
    • The folding is neurally controlled, suggesting a sophisticated self-regulation of auditory perception during communication.

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