Regular ArticlePhenotypic variation in the mating preferences of female field crickets,Gryllus integer
Abstract
Phenotypic variation in the mating preferences of female field crickets was examined. Males of this species produce a trilled calling song which varies in the number of pulses per trill, the inter-trill interval and the proportion of missing pulses within a trill. As a population, females preferred male calling songs with more pulses per trill and shorter inter-trill intervals in two-speaker choice tests, but did not discriminate between male song that varied in the proportion of missing pulses. Female preference functions were examined by sequentially presenting females with a series of songs that varied in only one parameter. As a population, the strength of the female preference for male calling song appeared to increase with the number of pulses per trill in the song. However, there was no significant variation in the strength of the preference for male calling song with either the inter-trill interval or proportion of missing pulses in the song. There was significant variation between individual females in their preference functions based on the number of pulses per trill and the inter-trill interval in male song, but not based on the proportion of missing pulses in male song. Females appeared to differ in how strongly they preferred more pulses per trill. In contrast, females appeared to differ not only in the strength of their preference based on inter-trill interval, but also in whether they preferred longer or shorter inter-trill intervals. The repeatability of preference functions within females was relatively high for number of pulses per trill (0·50) and inter-trill interval (0·59), but low for proportion of missing pulses (−0·02). Correlations between female preference functions were also examined. Females that strongly preferred more pulses per trill tended to strongly prefer shorter inter-trill intervals. In addition, females that strongly preferred shorter inter-trill intervals tended to prefer a higher proportion of missing pulses. These results suggest that selection can act on female preference functions in field crickets, and that direct selection on one preference function can result in indirect selection on other preference functions.
References (0)
Cited by (123)
Is plasticity in field cricket mating behaviour mediated by experience of song quality?
2022, Animal BehaviourMany animals rely upon signals to discriminate among potential mates. Through mate choice, they may gain fitness advantages for themselves and their offspring and exert selection on signals and signallers. In some species, mating preferences are phenotypically plastic and mediated by experience of signals. Teleogryllus oceanicus, the Pacific field cricket, has been a productive model for studies of acoustically mediated phenotypic plasticity because many aspects of adult mating behaviour and reproductive physiology are differentially expressed when crickets develop in the presence versus absence of conspecific signals. An open question is whether the quality of conspecific signals experienced during development also mediates the mating preferences of adult females, as it does in some other animals. We tested the mating assurance in a variable environment hypothesis, which posits that adaptive plasticity in the expression of female mating preferences could protect females from costs associated with being too selective when preferred mates are rare or absent, while allowing selectivity when preferred mates are available. We experimentally manipulated the acoustic signals in the rearing environment as a reliable cue about the availability of preferred mates in the adult environment. Specifically, environments varied in the percentage of long chirp, a trait of male advertisement song known to be under precopulatory sexual selection. When subjects reached maturity, we used a within-subjects phonotaxis (movement towards sound) assay to measure female preferences for the percentage of long chirp. We replicated our experiment in populations from three islands of the Hawaiian Archipelago. We found evidence that some measures of female response are plastic and mediated by song quality, but effects were population specific and not entirely consistent with the predictions of the mating assurance in a variable environment hypothesis. Our results point to limited song quality-mediated plasticity in female mating preferences.
How dietary protein and carbohydrate influence field cricket development, size and mate attraction signalling
2018, Animal BehaviourResearchers examining how nutrition impacts fitness traits usually examine one nutrient at a time, ignoring potential interactions. When researchers simultaneously examine multiple nutrients, their studies often focus on adults, ignoring potential changes in nutritional needs that occur during the transition between juvenile and adult stages. To address these issues, we quantified how dietary nutrient balance (relative amounts of protein and carbohydrate) during development and into adulthood influenced life history and sexually selected traits using male Jamaican field crickets, Gryllus assimilis. Our findings revealed that male crickets developed significantly faster and grew larger when they were reared on a protein-rich diet, but their average daily time spent signalling for mates was significantly higher when they were reared on a carbohydrate-rich diet. Furthermore, while the probability of signalling and daily time spent signalling increased with age, time spent signalling for mates tended to increase at a higher rate with age when males consumed a carbohydrate-rich diet in adulthood. Together our findings suggest that traits may differ in their nutrient requirements, resulting in diet influencing a possible trade-off between traits across different life stages. The ability to locate and consume foods rich in protein during development should impact adult male fitness, as protein availability results in larger males, and larger males typically produce more attractive signals and are preferred by females. Conversely, the ability to locate and consume foods rich in carbohydrate should also impact a male's fitness, as males signal with higher effort when fed carbohydrate-rich diets, and higher signalling effort can directly impact a male's ability to attract a female.
Choosy males in Jamaican field crickets
2017, Animal BehaviourMale mate choice is an often neglected aspect of sexual selection studies. While theory predicts that females should exhibit mate choice due to their comparatively greater investment in gametes, males may also exhibit mate choice for a variety of reasons, including seeking mates with greater fecundity. Furthermore, males may exhibit discriminant or indiscriminate mate choice as a function of their own intrinsic characteristics, such as body size or condition. Here we experimentally evaluated male Jamaican field cricket, Gryllus assimilis, mating preferences using randomly selected females and determined how both male and female morphology (body size and residual mass) and male signalling behaviour influence male mate preference. Results show that male crickets exhibit mating preferences, with larger males tending to exhibit more consistent mate preferences than smaller males. Contrary to predictions, males did not prefer larger or relatively heavier females, suggesting that males may not be basing their choosiness on these proxy measures of female fecundity. Our findings highlight the need for continued research on male mate choice and identifying the intrinsic characteristics of both sexes that drive them.
Linking mating preferences to sexually selected traits and offspring viability: good versus complementary genes hypotheses
2016, Animal BehaviourIndirect fitness benefits hypotheses suggest that offspring of preferred mates should exhibit greater survival or reproductive success. For example, good genes hypotheses propose that female mating preferences are mediated by secondary sexual traits because they honestly reflect the ability to pass on genes that will enhance offspring survival or reproduction. Conversely, complementary genes hypotheses propose that mating preferences are mediated by complementary genes because they enhance offspring viability. While these two research traditions are not strict alternatives and both may operate simultaneously, they have never been tested together. Here we explore the multiple potential underlying factors influencing mating preference evolution in Jamaican field crickets, Gryllus assimilis. After evaluating female preferences for randomly selected males, we tested whether preferred males differed from nonpreferred males in their body size, relative mass or mate attraction signals. We then mated females to their preferred or nonpreferred partners and tested offspring viability. Results revealed: (1) females preferred larger males, (2) larger females oviposited more eggs, (3) neither morphology nor mate attraction signalling explained variation in offspring viability, and (4) mating with a preferred partner did not enhance offspring viability. Overall, in our current study population, cricket mate preferences were inconsistent with complementary genes and good genes hypotheses for indirect fitness benefits. Our current research explores whether male secondary sexual traits honestly reflect the ability to pass on genes that enhance offspring reproduction.
Repeatability of mate preference functions in Enchenopa treehoppers (Hemiptera: Membracidae)
2013, Animal BehaviourPatterns of variation in mate preferences provide information about the processes influencing the evolution of mate choice behaviour. We measured variation in female mate preferences using preference functions, which are curves that describe female responses across variation in male signals. Over 3 weeks of testing, we repeatedly measured female Enchenopa binotata ‘Ptelea’ treehoppers (Hemiptera: Membracidae) for their preference for male signal frequency (Hz). We then calculated the consistency of differences in mate preference functions among females (i.e. repeatability) and variability across females for the preference functions. We then measured traits describing different aspects of variation in mate preferences, including peak preference and selectivity. We found repeatability in the overall preference functions, indicating a potential for preference functions to respond to selection. Furthermore, we found substantial repeatability and variability in selectivity traits and low repeatability and variability in peak preference. Finally, we found only weak covariation between peak preference and selectivity. We discuss the implications of our results within the framework of the evolution of mate preferences, both in terms of past selection shaping mate preferences, and the potential for preferences to respond to current selection.
The influence of developmental days on body size and allometry of head width in male Loxoblemmus angulatus (Orthoptera: Gryllidae)
2014, Canadian Entomologist
- f1
Present address: Nebraska Behavioral Biology Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, U.S.A.