First published online June 29, 2007
Journal of Experimental Biology 210, 2481-2488 (2007)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2007
doi: 10.1242/jeb.001909
Acoustic feature recognition in the dogbane tiger moth, Cycnia tenera
James H. Fullard1,*,
John M. Ratcliffe2 and
Christopher G. Christie1
1 Department of Biology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga,
Canada, L5L 1C6
2 Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
14853, USA

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Fig. 1. The tymbal phonoresponse of Cycnia tenera. (A) Oscillogram of one
stimulus pulse in a pulse train and the tymbal sounds as a series of clicks
within a single modulation cycle (Blest et
al., 1963 ). (B) The habituation/generalization (H/G) paradigm.
(Top) Initial stimulus pulse train and moth phonoresponse. (Middle) Tenth
pulse train where the moth has completely habituated. (Bottom) Test pulse
train stimulus showing lack of generalization in the moth's phonoresponse. (C)
Measurements taken from one H/G trial. Responses were the number of tymbal
modulation cycles per stimulus pulse train (normalized to the percentage
change from initial response). Habituation was determined if the slope of a
linear regression applied to the response decrease was significantly less than
0; lack of generalization (i.e. expressed stimuli discrimination) was
determined from pooled habituated animals if the test stimulus response was
significantly greater than the average of the last habituated responses.
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Fig. 2. (A) Audiograms of C. tenera (N=5 males, 5 females),
individuals as circles, gender medians as bold lines. (B)
Habituation/generalization (H/G) trials of individual C. tenera
(N=20). Values are means + 1 s.d., sample sizes in parentheses; no
significant differences (P>0.05, paired-sample t-tests)
exist in any of the trials.
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Fig. 3. Habituation/generalization (H/G) trials of C. tenera
(N=36) stimulus duration discrimination. 510,
habituation pulse trains of pulse durations of 5 ms, test pulse train of pulse
duration of 10 ms, equal and unequal duty cycles; 105, habituation
pulse trains of pulse durations of 10 ms, test pulse train of pulse duration
of 5 ms, equal and unequal duty cycles. Values are means + 1 s.d., sample
sizes in parentheses; asterisks mark significant differences
(P<0.05).
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Fig. 4. Habituation/generalization (H/G) trials of C. tenera
(N=18) to test responses after habituation to pulse trains of 5 ms
pulses to different test duty cycles (increasing pulse duration, periods
equal). Values are means + 1 s.d., sample sizes in parentheses; asterisks mark
significant differences (P<0.05).
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Fig. 5. (A) Threshold phonoresponse curves of C. tenera (N=9, for
all graphs) to stimulus pulses of constant and variable duty cycles as a
function of stimulus pulse periods. (Top) Pulse duration of 2 ms and variable
duty cycles; (middle) constant duty cycle of 7% and variable pulse durations;
(bottom) constant duty cycle of 20% and variable pulse durations. (B)
Habituation/generalization (H/G) trials using equal duty cycles (7%) and
search versus attack (terminal phase) echolocation pulse durations
(15 and 1.5 ms, respectively) and periods (215 and 21.5 ms, respectively)
played in normal and reversed sequence [simulations modelled after field
recordings of wild Eptesicus fuscus hunting in an open area
(Surlykke and Moss, 2000 )].
Values are means + 1 s.d., sample sizes in parentheses.
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© The Company of Biologists Ltd 2007