The acoustic repertoire and mating behavior of Dalbulus leafhoppers were studied in the laboratory. Acoustic signals were recorded via microphone and tape recorder, and analyzed sonographically and oscillographically. Male common calls of 10 Dalbulus spp. were compared using duration and rate measurements of call parts (sections, phases, and pulses), amplitude ratios of pulses, and dominant frequencies. Call types were characteristic based on repeated measures analysis of variance followed by Scott-Knott mean separation. Common calls had significant variations among species but no one acoustic variable uniquely identified a species. A multivariate hierarchical cluster analysis of calls partitioned Dalbulus species into three groups: 1) D. quinquenotatus DeLong & Nault and D. chiapensis Triplehorn & Nault; 2) D. longulus DeLong, D. guevarai DeLong, and D. elimatus (Ball); 3) D. maidis (DeLong & Wolcott), D. chariest Triplehorn & Nault, D. tripsacoides DeLong & Nault, D. gelbus DeLong, and D. guzmani DeLong & Nault. With the exception of D. guzmani, groupings of species based on male common calls are similar to groupings of species based on cladistic analysis of morphological characters. Beside common calls, Dalbulus males produce courtship calls, copulatory calls, rivalry calls, and distress calls. Courtship calls were recorded from Dalbulus females. The basic pattern of courtship and copulation for Dalbulus leafhoppers is described
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Heady et al. (1986) studied this question.