10/6/03
14
Why Do They Do It?
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Females identify males of their own species by
flashing rate
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difficult to do if they flash chaotically
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Allows males to detect (unsynchronized flashing
of nearby females)
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i.e., enhanced detection
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Allows small groups of males to attract larger
numbers of females
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i.e., signal enhancement
Not entirely clear; this is the best explanation
The mass displays (many trees) may have no adaptive significance, but just be a consequence of localized synchronization
(SOBS 147)