Parasitoid-host eavesdropping reveals temperature coupling of preferences to communication signals without genetic coupling.

ABSTRACT: Receivers of acoustic communication signals evaluate signal features to identify conspecifics. Changes in the ambient temperature can alter these features, rendering species recognition a challenge. To maintain effective communication, temperature coupling-changes in receiver signal preferences that parallel temperature-induced changes in signal parameters-occurs among genetically coupled signallers and receivers. Whether eavesdroppers of communication signals exhibit temperature coupling is unknown. Here, we investigate if the parasitoid fly Ormia ochracea, an eavesdropper of cricket calling songs, exhibits song pulse rate preferences that are temperature coupled. We use a high-speed treadmill system to record walking phonotaxis at three ambient temperatures (21, 25, and 30°C) in r

SUBMITTER: Jirik KJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10427829 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature