Presentation Details
| Ladies’ choice: characterizing a novel female signal in Enchenopa treehoppers Leila M.Goodrum, Drew W.Little, Rafael L.Rodríguez. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA |
Abstract
Mate choice is a critical aspect of many animal mating systems. A recent hypothesis posits that mate choice selects not only for particular signal features, but also for "courteous" behavior that fosters agency in the performance of mate choice. We are testing this hypothesis with Enchenopa treehoppers—insects that communicate with plant-borne vibrational signals. Enchenopa males produce advertisement signals, and females decide whether to signal back to establish a duet while the male finds and mounts her. Recently, we discovered an additional stage of female choice in Enchenopa: during mounted duetting, females may produce a novel signal type we have dubbed the “advancing signal,” which appears to indicate to the male that he may attempt genitalic coupling. We have not observed males attempt coupling before females produce this signal. This represents a rare level of courteousness that may provide insight into the evolution of mate choice. Here we characterize the quantitative features of the Enchenopa female advancing signal, comparing its features to the duetting signal.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.
Content Locked. Log into a registered attendee account to access this presentation.