Adult social environment alters female reproductive investment in the cricket Gryllus firmus

Abstract

The social environment surrounding an individual has the potential to affect not only external behaviors and actions but also internal physiological processes linked to fitness. We exposed adult female crickets to male calling song, which signals the presence of reproductively viable mates. Females exposed to male calling song boosted their ovary investment compared to unexposed females, suggesting that individuals alter their reproductive decisions to best suit the current social environment.