Question

Describe how only one player benefits from the communication interaction in (a) fringe-lipped bats and tungara frogs, and (b) photuris and Plotinus fireflies.

Answer 1

(a) Fringe-lipped bats and tungara frogs: This Fringe – lipped bat found in the forest of South and central America. The tungura frogs are also found in South and central America.The male frogs of tungura at the time of mating produces “‘chuck noises”. These noises is produced to call female frogs for the mating but at the same time these noises are detect by the Fringe-lipped bats. Then these bats, use these noises with the help of echolocation to detect the frogs and eat them Hence, in this case, bats act as predators and frogs are prey. In this case, Fringe-lipped bats are benefitted whereas frogs are not.

(b) photuris and Plotinus fireflies: Genus Photuris Firefly females, which are carnivorous, attract and eat genus Plotinus males flies using the mimicry phenomenon by mimicking the flash-responses shown by Photinus females. In this example, Photuris Firefly females are benefitted where Plotinus fireflies not benefitted.