The buzzOmeter system: In situ audio recordings of pollinators in flight

Abstract

Abstract The role of sounds produced by free‐flying insects is challenging to research due to technical difficulties in obtaining audio recordings suitable for playback experiments. Experimental studies using flight sounds are needed to understand if buzzes carry information and by whom it is perceived. We developed the ‘buzzOmeter system’ for recording untethered, flying insects in their habitat, followed by file processing that allows precise measurements of acoustic parameters, including those dependent on the distance of the sound source from the microphone, that is signal magnitude measurements. The system consists of commercially available elements and open source software. We provide a practical guide for the assembly and use of two alternative setups of the buzzOmeter system, followed by a video tutorial on file processing and an R script for the assignment of audio recordings to the corresponding species based on mixture discriminant analysis. Recordings of nine insect species (bees, wasps and lepidopterans) obtained with the use of our system in various habitats demonstrate its feasibility for field studies. Diverse species interactions are based on sound, and our new tool can aid researchers studying acoustical signalling in predator–prey, pollinator‐plant and mimic‐model complexes, among others.