Insects often rely on substrate-borne vibrational communication to locate mates and communicate with one another. These vibrations can also be exploited to deliberately influence insect behavior or to control pests (biotremology). The cave cricket (Troglophilus neglectus, Orthoptera) is a nocturnal species that uses this form of communication for close-range courtship. Vibrations are sensed via the leg's subgenual organ. Understanding this transmission through the leg to the organ is key to understanding insect vibrosensory mechanisms and their biotremological potential. Using the Denavit–Hartenberg formulation, a dynamic model of the kinematic chain was developed and the frequency response functions of five individuals were measured by laser vibrometry. Using the 30 measurement points of the best-measured individual, 16 mechanical model parameters were identified with a two-stage optimisation procedure. The model was then used to investigate the correlation between posture and the modal properties of the cricket.
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