Female mating frequency increases with temperature in two cricket species, Gryllodes sigillatus and Acheta domesticus (Orthoptera: Gryllidae)

Abstract

Although the effect of temperature on calling song of male crickets has been widely studied, its influence on female mating behaviour remains largely unexplored. We examined the effect of varying temperature on female mating frequency in two cricket species ( Gryllodes sigillatus (F. Walker, 1869) (= Gryllodes supplicans (F. Walker, 1859)) and Acheta domesticus L., 1758) by providing females with multiple mating partners and recording the number of matings over 72 h intervals using time-lapse video recording. Female mating frequency increased with temperature in both species, but increased more steeply in A. domesticus than in G. sigillatus. Temperature accounted for approximately 50% of the variation in female mating frequency. These results suggest that the threshold for mating in females is temperature dependent, such that at lower temperatures only certain males are able to elicit the female mounting response required for successful mating. If temperature affects female selectivity, then male mating success in different seasons may vary, with a wider range of males gaining the opportunity to copulate at warmer times of the year. Consequently, the intensity of sexual selection may vary seasonally.