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Mate choice in tree crickets and their kin.
1Institut de Zoologie et d'Ecologie Animale, Universite de Lausanne, Lausanne, 1015 Switzerland. William.Brown@izea.unil.ch
Annual Review of Entomology
|March 12, 2004
Summary
Female tree crickets exhibit diverse mate choice strategies, influencing mating success. Understanding these varied preferences and trade-offs is key to explaining the evolutionary drivers of sexual selection in insects.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral ecology
- Evolutionary biology
- Animal behavior
Background:
- Mate choice is a central topic in behavioral ecology.
- Tree crickets are a valuable model system for studying mate choice diversity.
- Previous research has established female choice in various insect groups.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review evidence for female mate choice in tree crickets.
- To compare female choice in tree crickets with other Orthoptera.
- To explore the different stages and criteria involved in tree cricket mating decisions.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of existing studies on tree cricket mating behavior.
- Comparative analysis of female choice across different Orthopteran species.
- Examination of factors influencing mate selection, including song preference, courtship gifts, and postcopulatory choice.
Main Results:
- Female tree crickets exercise choice at multiple mating stages, targeting various criteria.
- Song preferences often involve stabilizing selection for species recognition, but directional preferences for sensory biases or mate quality also exist.
- Mate rejection and postcopulatory choice can favor males based on phenotypic quality and courtship gift value.
Conclusions:
- Female mate choice in tree crickets is multifaceted, involving pre- and post-copulatory mechanisms.
- The balance and trade-offs between different choice strategies are crucial for understanding the evolutionary pressures shaping sexual selection.
- Further research into these dynamics can illuminate the evolutionary causes of mate choice diversity.