Phonotactic response of female crickets on the Kramer treadmill: methodology, sensory and behavioural implications

• Published in: Journal of Comparative Physiology Vol. 194; no. 1; pp. 79 - 96
• Main Authors: Verburgt, L, Ferguson, J. W. H, Weber, T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Berlin/Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag 01-01-2008; Springer-Verlag; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acoustic Stimulation; Age Factors; Algorithms; Analysis of Variance; Animal Communication; Animal Physiology; Animals; Appetitive Behavior - physiology; Behavioral Research - methods; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Female; Females; Gryllidae; Gryllidae - physiology; Gryllus bimaculatus; Life Sciences; Models, Statistical; Motor Activity - physiology; Neurosciences; Orientation - physiology; Original Paper; Preferences; Psychoacoustics; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Sound Localization; Spatial Behavior - physiology; Zoology; Phonotactic asymmetry; Response function; Selectivity; Female preference; Phonotaxis
• ISSN: 0340-7594; 1432-1351
• DOI: 10.1007/s00359-007-0292-0

Since population-level variation in female mating preferences can shape intraspecific communication systems within the context of sexual selection it is essential to quantify these preferences and their sources of variation. We calculated individual female response functions for four male calling song traits in the field cricket Gryllus bimaculatus, by performing untethered phonotaxis measurements on a spherical locomotor compensator (Kramer treadmill). Firstly, we quantify the population-level sources of phonotactic variation and correct for factors that adversely affect this measurement. Secondly, we develop methodology for the characterisation of individual female phonotactic response functions suitable for population-level analyses and demonstrate the applicability of our method with respect to recent literature on Orthopteran acoustic communication. Phonotaxis towards a preferred stimulus on different occasions is highly repeatable, with lower repeatabilities away from the most preferred signal traits. For certain male signal traits, female preference and selectivity are highly repeatable. Although phonotactic response magnitude deteriorated with age, preference functions of females remained the same during their lifetimes. Finally, the limitations of measuring phonotaxis using a spherical locomotor compensator are described and discussed with respect to the estimation of the selectivity of female response.