SYNCHRONOUS VISUALIZATION OF VIDEO-TAPED 
SOUNDS AND MOTIONS OF INSECTS 
By Paul A. Wussow, Robert B. Willey, 
and June B. Steinberg 1 - 2 
The University of Illinois at Chicago Circle, 
P.O. Box 4348, Chicago, IL 60680; 
and the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, 
Crested Butte, Colorado 81224. 
High-speed cinematography with synchronized oscillography has 
been used to analyze accurately the sound production by a rapidly 
moving structure during communicative behavior of insects (Walker 
& Dew, 1972; Willey, 1973, 1974). However, this method involves 
expensive equipment and perhaps kilometers of film containing only 
a few hundred feet of analyzable sequences. Nevertheless, the ac- 
curacy and resolution of audio-visual synchrony by this method has 
been exceeded only by the use of minute magnetometers using the 
Hall-effect (Eisner, 1970; Eisner & Huber, 1973) and by an in- 
genious method of flash-photography (Morris & Pipher, 1972). On 
the other hand, studies needing an average synchrony accuracy of 
only ± 5 msec (essentially equivalent to motion picture framing rates 
of 60 pictures per sec) can utilize inexpensive or already available 
video-systems used commonly as educational tools. 
Video has several advantages over cinematographic methods: 
1) sound and picture are routinely recorded synchronously, 2) video- 
tape can be erased and reused, 3) some video-cameras have great 
sensitivity and can be used even for nocturnal insects at very low 
light levels, and 4) the system can be used to monitor behavior for 
hours and then sequences can be selected, duplicated on another tape 
and then the original tape can be used again. There are disadvan- 
tages of video for high resolution work and these will be discussed 
in the Analysis (q.v.). J 
J Mailing address for reprints: R. B. Willey, Assoc. Prof., Biological 
Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago Circle, P.O. Box 4348, Chicago, 
IL 60680. 
2 P. A. Wussow is Data-Systems Analyst with NSF Grant GB-35594, and 
Computer-Aided Instruction Specialist, Office of Instructional Resources 
Development, University of Illinois; Mrs. J. B. Steinberg is doctoral candi- 
date and Teaching Assistant in Biological Sciences. 
Manuscript received by the editor March 1, 1974. 
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