The best of both worlds: cicada males change costly signals to achieve mates while females choose a mate based on both calling and courtship songs

ABSTRACT: Abstract Cicadas usually sing and mate in the higher parts of trees. Studies addressing the effects of different acoustic signals on mate choice in Cicadidae are very limited. We investigated the effects of both acoustical features and morphological traits on mate choice in an East Asian cicada Platypleura kaempferi. Males produce high-rate calling songs that attract females, then produce low-rate courtship songs to secure mating when a female is attracted. Higher calling song rate (CR), shorter single-pulse duration, and shorter pulse period of the calling song, together with lower courtship song rate and longer echeme period of the courtship song, are the most desirable traits used by females to choose a mate. These traits indicate that the more a male can raise the rate of song producti

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PROVIDER: S-EPMC9892791 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature