Species-specific larval acoustic behaviour of three stag beetles (Coleoptera: Lucanidae), with emphasis on their stridulatory organs and acoustic signals

Acoustic behaviour plays a significant role in insect communications, but is rarely reported in their immature stages. Larvae of Lucanidae bear paired stridulatory organs on their thoracic legs, which could produce sounds as communicational signals. However, the species-specific differences on stridulatory organs and acoustic signals are far from fully investigated. In this study, the larval acoustic behaviours of three lucanid species, Lucanus dybowski, Prosopocoilus confucius and P. girafa were recorded and compared for the first time. The sound producing mechanism was described in detail based on video recordings, morphological observations, and acoustic analyses. The larvae of all three species are able to produce sounds by scraping the plectrum on the metatrochanter against the pars stridens on the mesocoxa during disturbance. The sounds exhibit species-specific differences in terms of acoustic parameters: the larvae of L. dybowski produce short-duration (140–200 ms), single-pulse and low-frequency (∼210 Hz) sounds; P. confucius produce long-duration (500–800 ms), triple-pulse and low-frequency (∼280 Hz) sounds; P. girafa produce long-duration (500–560 ms), double-pulse and low-frequency (∼260 Hz) sounds. The amounts and arrangements of the teeth on stridulatory organs also exhibit differences on specific level. The acoustic signals and stridulatory organs were compared using principal component analysis. •Species-specific acoustic behaviours were discovered among three lucanid larvae.•Species-specific stridulatory organs were discovered among three lucanid larvae.•The sound producing mechanism was described based on morphological observations and acoustic analyses.•The acoustic signal differences were analyzed focused on the duration, down-time, and peak frequency.