Effects of female quality on mate choice tradeoffs under predation risk in house crickets (Acheta Domesticus L.).

Abstract

There are a myriad of factors that can affect how a female makes mating decisions including male quality, environmental variables, and factors intrinsic to the female. We examined the effects of female quality within the contexts of predation and mate choice. To do this, we performed two-choice tests using a rectangular experimental arena with one side containing protective cover and the other side open. A speaker at either end of the arena played out artificially created low quality or high quality male calls. The low quality call was always associated with the covered side of the arena. This design forces the female to make a tradeoff between level of risk and the quality of a potential mate. We tested high and low quality females three times. A repeated measures logistic regression revealed no significance in the relationship between female quality and tradeoff preferences. Instead, there was a significant preference overall for females to move through open space towards the high quality male. Females took significantly longer to reach the high quality male through open space compared to females moving through cover towards the low quality male. Additionally, females were not consistent in exhibiting tradeoff preferences, supporting the idea that there is no variation in mating preferences among females.