Tympanoterpes sp.

Acosta, Riuler C., Timm, Vítor F., Zefa, Edison, da Costa, Maria K. M., Ruschel, Tatiana P., Lopes, Dimitrius A. R. & Kaminski, Lucas A., 2025, Pampa singers: an acoustic and visual guide to singing insects (Orthoptera and Hemiptera), Journal of Natural History 59 (21 - 24), pp. 1541-1589 : 1555

Tympanoterpes sp.

Flying song

Not observed.

Calling song

It consists of two parts. The first is formed by short echemmes reminiscent of clicks, totalling 36.4 ± 14.4 (15–73) in all. This part of the signal lasts approximately 1.9 ± 0.7 (0.14–3.02) seconds. The second part, on the other hand, is composed of a long echemme lasting about 6.8 ± 3.5 (2.6–15.4) seconds. It’s an echemme filled with syllables ranging from low frequencies of 7 to 12 and 14 to 18 kHz. The chorus signalling of this species involves the continuous emission of the second part. Additionally, there is an increase in intensity in the second part. Its calling song is also in broad-range frequency, with F1 at 8.72 ± 0.4 (8.4–9.2), F2 at 15.87 ± 0.28 (15.5–16.2), and F3 at 22.52 ± 0.24 (22–22.8). It’s noteworthy that F1 ranges between 7 and 10 kHz, although the most prominent value is at 8.7 kHz.

Stress call

Comprised of short echemmes lasting about 0.11 ± 0.08 (0.045–0.28) seconds. Each echemme contains 59 ± 36 (21–128) syllables. The stress call is like the calling song, but also exhibits broad-range frequency, with F1 at 8.32 ± 0.58 (7.8–8.9), F2 at 18.26 ± 1.49 (15.6–19.1), and F3 at 24.36 ± 0.81 (23.7–25.3).

Collection site

Parque Natural Municipal Saint-Hilaire. The cicada was collected and recorded on 11 November 2021, at 11 am, temperature at 23°C. It sings in bushes at approximately 0.5 metres. Despite the collection time, the organism produces sounds for a significant part of the morning, except during periods of increased wind intensity. Unlike other cicadas that fly at the first sign of danger, this cicada slowly descends the branch it is on, occasionally hiding close to the ground below the vegetation ( Figures 4 B-C and 5K).

Remarks

This is the first official publication of the species’ sound record. The specimens were determined as a new species, which will be described later.

Figures

Figure 4. Songs of Fidicinini and Zammarini cicadas. (A) Calling song of Quesada gigas (Olivier, 1790). (B) Calling song of Tympanoterpes sp. (C) Stress call of Tympanoterpes sp. (D) Calling song of Zammara tympanum (Fabricius, 1803). (E) Stress call of Zammara tympanum (Fabricius, 1803).