Firefly courtship as the basis of the synchronization-response principle

¹ Institut für Physik, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Robert-Koch-Platz 4, 10115 Berlin, Germany, EU
² Potsdam Institut für Klimafolgenforschung - P.O. Box 60 12 03, 14412 Potsdam, Germany, EU
³ Instituto de Investigaciones Físicas, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés - Casilla 8635, La Paz, Bolivia
⁴ Interdisciplinary Center for Nonlinear Phenomena and Complex Systems and Unité d'Ecologie Sociale, CP 231, Université Libre de Bruxelles - Campus de la Plaine, Bld. du Triomphe, Brussels, Belgium, EU

^a gramirez@ulb.ac.be

Received: 18 March 2011
Accepted: 10 May 2011

Abstract

Response to synchronization seems to be a widespread phenomenon specially in biological systems. We highlight this phenomenon studying the courtship of flashing fireflies in which a typical collective rhythm occurring only among the males arises and it is followed by a response of the females. Based on a model issued from electronic fireflies, we explain the synchronization of the males and the active responses of the females in the courtship of mingled (both sexes) populations of fireflies. The model also explains the courtship behavior of other species whose interactions follow the same logic even if their physical features are different. Moreover, the model can make predictions on the behavior of mingled and mixed (natural and artificial) groups of such animals. This finding could be considered as the basis of a new principle, namely the synchronization-response.