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Acoustic cues alter perceived sperm competition risk in the field cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus

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  • Brian Gray
  • Leigh W. Simmons

Abstract

Sperm competition game theory predicts that males should respond to increasing sperm competition risk by increasing ejaculate expenditure. There is considerable support for this prediction from a diverse range of taxa. However, the cues males use to assess risk and the fitness returns for strategic ejaculation are less well understood. We explored the role of acoustic cues in the assessment of sperm competition risk by manipulating male experience of acoustically signaling conspecifics in the field cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus. Compared with males reared in acoustic isolation, males reared in song-dense environments mimicking a high sperm competition risk produced ejaculates with a greater percentage of viable sperm. However, acoustic experience had only a weak and nonsignificant effect on competitive fertilization success. We argue that female influences on paternity are likely to have a strong moderating effect on male fitness returns from prudent allocation and call for more studies that address the consequences of strategic ejaculation for male fitness.

Suggested Citation

  • Brian Gray & Leigh W. Simmons, 2013. "Acoustic cues alter perceived sperm competition risk in the field cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 24(4), pages 982-986.
  • Handle: RePEc:oup:beheco:v:24:y:2013:i:4:p:982-986.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/beheco/art009
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Steven A. Ramm & Paula Stockley, 2007. "Ejaculate allocation under varying sperm competition risk in the house mouse, Mus musculus domesticus," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 18(2), pages 491-495.
    2. Leigh W. Simmons & Maxine Beveridge, 2010. "The strength of postcopulatory sexual selection within natural populations of field crickets," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 21(6), pages 1179-1185.
    3. Leigh W. Simmons & Julie Wernham & Francisco Garci´a-Gonza´lez & Dan Kamien, 2003. "Variation in paternity in the field cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus: no detectable influence of sperm numbers or sperm length," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 14(4), pages 539-545, July.
    4. Nathan W. Bailey & Janelle R. McNabb & Marlene Zuk, 2008. "Preexisting behavior facilitated the loss of a sexual signal in the field cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 19(1), pages 202-207.
    5. Javier delBarco-Trillo & Michael H. Ferkin, 2006. "Male meadow voles respond differently to risk and intensity of sperm competition," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 17(4), pages 581-585, July.
    6. Leigh W. Simmons, 2012. "Resource allocation trade-off between sperm quality and immunity in the field cricket, Teleogryllus oceanicus," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 23(1), pages 168-173.
    7. Amanda Bretman & Claudia Fricke & Primrose Hetherington & Rachel Stone & Tracey Chapman, 2010. "Exposure to rivals and plastic responses to sperm competition in Drosophila melanogaster," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 21(2), pages 317-321.
    8. Flavia Barbosa, 2012. "Males responding to sperm competition cues have higher fertilization success in a soldier fly," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 23(4), pages 815-819.
    9. Melissa L. Thomas & Leigh W. Simmons, 2009. "Male dominance influences pheromone expression, ejaculate quality, and fertilization success in the Australian field cricket, Teleogryllus oceanicus," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 20(5), pages 1118-1124.
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