Mating tree crickets
Found during a night hike in Danum Valley Field centre, Sabah province, Borneo.
Males lure females with a siren song of chirps in a process known as stridulation whereby the hind legs are rubbed together like a bow and violin. Ever the multitasker, the male during this time has also raised his wings and rubs the veins of the topwing with the underwings stimulating the production of nutritious secretions from thoracic pits. Now he is ready for an approaching female. When she arrives and mounts the male, she is occupied and begins feeding on the secretions. This allows the male to mate for longer, allowing him to completely release his spermatophore. When the female has finished, the male may be further stimulated to provide additional secretions to keep the female occupied while he is producing a second spermatophore for additional mating. The pair have finished mating. The hind legs of the male are to the far right of the frame. Here the female can be seen accepting a spermatophore with her mandibles before it is transferred to her genital operculum.
Mating tree crickets
Found during a night hike in Danum Valley Field centre, Sabah province, Borneo.
Males lure females with a siren song of chirps in a process known as stridulation whereby the hind legs are rubbed together like a bow and violin. Ever the multitasker, the male during this time has also raised his wings and rubs the veins of the topwing with the underwings stimulating the production of nutritious secretions from thoracic pits. Now he is ready for an approaching female. When she arrives and mounts the male, she is occupied and begins feeding on the secretions. This allows the male to mate for longer, allowing him to completely release his spermatophore. When the female has finished, the male may be further stimulated to provide additional secretions to keep the female occupied while he is producing a second spermatophore for additional mating. The pair have finished mating. The hind legs of the male are to the far right of the frame. Here the female can be seen accepting a spermatophore with her mandibles before it is transferred to her genital operculum.