Another sign stimulus, of course, is sound. A male bird’s so…
Another sign stimulus, of course, is sound. A male bird’s song attracts females and repels competitors. Thus, it acts as a signal to birds of the same species. Male grasshoppers also attract females with a song. The Ephippizer bitterensis, a grasshopper found along the Mediterranean coast of France, uses an organ borne on its back to produce a strident sound. Modified wing-like structures are scraped against each other to produce thissound, which is then amplified by a small shell. When females hear this sound, they scramble toward it, climbing over any obstacles that are in their way, and speeding up as they come close to their mates. Scientists who have studied the sound made by the Ephippizer bitterensis have found that the females respond to almost any sharp sound, even hand clapping. Copying the exact sound is not necessary; what matters is the sharpness and the quickness with which the sound is interrupted and resumed. The male Ephippizer bitterensis produces sound from a device on its