Acoustic Mating Behaviour Research |
Acoustic Mating Behaviour Research
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Acoustic Signalling and Quantitative Genetic Components: Our recent research explores the additive genetic and genotype by environment interactions influencing acoustic mate signalling behaviour. We estimated the heritability for total nightly signalling time in the Texas field cricket (Gryllus texensis). We reared cricket fathers, sons, and half-siblings and quantified their total nightly calling time. Signalling time appears to exhibit minimal heritability and little of the total variance appears to be additive genetic. We have also collected some preliminary data on the heritability of other signalling traits, and are in the process of analyzing these data. |
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Acoustically Orienting Parasitoids: Many animals use acoustic signals to attract mates but their signals simultaneously expose them to predators or parasites. Male Texas field crickets, for example, signal acoustically to attract potential mates but their calls also attract a parasitoid (Ormia ochracea; Tachinidae). These parasitoid females acoustically orient to signalling males and lay their larvae on and around the cricket. The larvae burrow inside to feed and grow. The parasitoid larvae emerges 7-10 days later, killing the host. Our research has revealed that males alter their calling behaviour after they are parasitized. Male acoustic mate signalling effort becomes greatly reduced in the late stage of parasitism. |
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Behavioural Syndromes: Behavioural syndromes are suites of correlated behaviours expressed either within a given behavioural context (e.g. mating) or between different contexts (e.g. foraging and mating). We investigated whether the field cricket Acheta domesticus exhibits behavioural syndromes. Specifically, we examined whether individuals display behavioural correlations across mating, activity, and anti-predatory contexts. |
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Relationship Between Signalling, Allometry, and Physiology: Male crickets exhibit extensive variation in their acoustic mate attraction signals. Some males signal for hours a night, others rarely signal. Some males produce very attractive calls, others don't. Jeff Dawson, Charles Darveau, students and I are collaborating on a project investigating the biomechanic, allometric, and physiological underpinnings that affect behavioural variation associated with mate signalling displays. |
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Pre-Copulatory Versus Post-Copulatory Mating Behaviour: Males signal acoustically to attract mates and females select mates based on several aspects of male acoustic signals. Males that produce the sexiest calls are thought to benefit the either directly or indirectly.Trevor Pitcher, students and I are testing whether males that produce the sexiest signals also provide the best sperm. We are quantifying correlations between signalling quality and quantity, and sperm number, viability, and motility in crickets. |
Indicies for Quantifying Diversity
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Quantifying Division of Labour and Diversity: We have been using information theory to quantify division of labour. We divide Shannon’s mutual entropy by marginal entropy, rendering it robust over changes in number of individuals or tasks. Our statistic has applications in diverse fields unrelated to socio-biology. Tasks (columns) and individuals (rows) can be redefined to a broader array of interactions, in which individuals specialize among tasks and/or tasks specialize among individuals. We have been using our statistic to quantify diversity, especially of multiple interactions. Our statistic can now be utilized by a host of fields including biology, sociology, biogeography, and landscape ecology. |
Past Study Organisms
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Ormia ochracea: Female parasitoid flies acoustically stalk and lay their larvae on and around the signalling cricket. The larvae burrow inside the cricket. A week later the larval fly burrows out of the host, killing the cricket. Acoustic signalling is, therefore, beneficial as it enhances mating success, and yet costly as it increases the chances of dying young. |
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Acheta domesticus European house cricket |
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Gryllus sp. #45 (previously called Gryllus bagettii) Gryllus assimilis (left), Gryllus texensis (right) and Gryllus sp. #45 (bottom) are all found in the same mating territories in Texas. |