Acoustic behavior and hearing property of moth pests: implementation of behavioral regulation with artificial ultrasounds

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I demonstrated sexual acoustic communication with ultrasonic courtship songs generated by males in the yellow peach moth. Males emitted a series of short pulses and then one long pulse before a copulation attempt. Long pulse was essential for copulation because a receptive female assumed a mate acceptance posture with raised wings in response to the long pulse. On the other hand, short pulses were equivalent to echolocation pulses of attacking horseshoe bats, Rhinolophus spp., in pulse structure, and thus suppressed orientation flights of moths including other species (e.g., Asian corn borer, Indian meal moth). Both behavioral responses and extracellular recordings of hearing nerves revealed that ultrasounds with 40-60 kHz of frequency, 20-30 ms pulse duration and 25-45 ms inter-pulse interval repeled efficiently crambid moths (yellow peach moth, Asian corn borer etc.).