Female crickets reared in silence exhibit risk-sensitive behavior in response to the preferred song

Abstract

Female choice is influenced by many environmental cues that get experienced during different stages of female development. Cues experienced in juvenile stage may have larger impact on female mate choice than mating decisions in response to cues experienced during adult mate choice. To examine how juvenile acoustic rearing interacts with immediate perception of risk in shaping female mate preference, we used the system of Pacific field cricket (Teleogryllus oceanicus). Females raised in silence were predicted to be more responsive under conditions associated with low risk without discriminating across song models. Females raised in the presence of song were expected to exhibit preference for a song model under conditions associated with low risk. Our results showed no interaction for females raised in the presence of song; females raised in silence exhibited preference for a song model under conditions associated with risk.