| Title: | Sexual pair-formation in a cicada mediated by acoustic behaviour of females and positive phonotaxis of males |
| Author(s): | Hou Z; Luo C; Roberts JD; Wei C; |
| Address: | "Key Laboratory of Plant Protection Resources and Pest Management, Ministry of Education, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China. Centre of Excellence in Natural Resource Management, University of Western Australia, Albany, 6330, Australia. Key Laboratory of Plant Protection Resources and Pest Management, Ministry of Education, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China. congwei@nwsuaf.edu.cn" |
| DOI: | 10.1038/s41598-017-06825-5 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 2045-2322 (Electronic) 2045-2322 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "The functions of female song found in a few cicadas have rarely been studied. In the cicada Subpsaltria yangi we investigated the acoustic behaviour and signal structure of songs produced by females, the phonotaxis of males, and mate choice, as well as the selective pressure imposed on this species by predators. Pair-formation in S. yangi occurs when males signal, females respond, then males move to signaling females, which is opposite to that in most other cicadas where females move to calling males. Females only mate once and are sexually unreceptive after copulation. Most males mate once, but ~25% mate multiply. Females display little direct evidence of mate preference or choice of males, and all mate encounters led to a successful mating. Only males are attacked by a robber fly, Philonicus albiceps, while flying to females. This imposes strong selection on males - only males who can evade predators mate. Males are also attracted to human simulations of female calls. This behaviour exposes the mating system to impacts from anthropogenic noise systems which could disrupt mating activity of this species. Our results improve the understanding of mate choice/competition in cicadas, and are valuable for future studies of the evolution of sound communication in the Cicadoidea" |
| Keywords: | "Acoustics Animals Diptera/physiology Female Hemiptera/*physiology Humans Male Predatory Behavior Sex Factors Sex Ratio Sexual Behavior, Animal/*physiology Vocalization, Animal/*physiology;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineHou, Zehai Luo, Changqing Roberts, J Dale Wei, Cong eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2017/07/27 Sci Rep. 2017 Jul 25; 7(1):6453. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-06825-5" |
