Parasitoid infestation changes female mating preferences

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Ecology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Animal Communication

Background:

• Female mating preferences can be plastic, adapting to environmental and social cues, influencing male trait evolution.
• Parasitism is a significant environmental pressure, yet its impact on female mating preferences is understudied.
• The cricket *Gryllus lineaticeps* is vulnerable to the parasitoid fly *Ormia ochracea*, which reduces female lifespan and reproductive success.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of parasitic infestation on female *Gryllus lineaticeps* responsiveness to male song.
• To determine how parasitic infestation influences female *Gryllus lineaticeps* preference for male song chirp rates.

Main Methods:

• Comparing song responsiveness and chirp rate preferences between parasitized and unparasitized (control) female crickets.
• Presenting male songs with varying chirp rates to females in choice trials.
• Quantifying female response rates and preference choices.

Main Results:

• Parasitic infestation did not alter female responsiveness to male songs.
• Unparasitized females preferred intermediate chirp rates over slow chirp rates and showed no discrimination between fast and intermediate rates.
• Infested females exhibited reduced chirp rate selectivity, showing no significant preferences in choice trials.

Conclusions:

• Parasitic infestation induces plasticity in female cricket mating preferences, leading to decreased selectivity.
• This relaxation of preference in parasitized females may be adaptive, increasing mating opportunities before death.
• Changes in female preference suggest relaxed selection on male song characteristics during periods of high parasitism.