Meconema thalassinum (2)

Insecta: Orthoptera: Ensifera: Meconematidae

Another possible male of Meconema thalassinum drumming was found after filtering a recording including the strong songs of a field cricket Gryllus bimaculatus and a cone-head cricket Ruspolia nitidula. Now it seems to be more high pitched, but that must perhaps be dependent on the substrate. The three first "echemes" last 437, 404 and 534 ms, containing 27, 24 and 33 "leg-hits"; that is a rate of 59-61 hits/s.

I have hard filtered the other species to allow to hear the insect drumming. As it's shown in the oscillogram, it seems to be a crescendo in the leg hits, and the last one is the loudest. That happens on bursts one and two only; in the other two the amplitude is similar.

Click here to listen (also download is possible by registering):
http://yourlisten.com/channel/content/16951080/Meconema_thalassinum_%282%29

Recorded the 15.ix.2012, 09:28 pm, 17ºC, in a fallow field edged by a hedgerow in a stone oak Quercus ilex domain.
[Iberian peninsula: Catalonia: Girona province: Alt Empordà: Albanyà: Can Ferrers, 375 m][ICC map]

[It was used a FOSTEX FR 2LE field memory recorder, mode stereo BWF48/24 bits, connected to a an unidireccional microphone RODE NTG3 and a cardioid microphone SHURE SM58]