Inter-individual differences of calling and exploratory behaviour in a lebinthine cricket species hint at different mate-finding strategies

Abstract

Abstract Individual fitness can be boosted by behavioural strategies that maximise mate-finding probability while minimising predation risk. Animals that use acoustics to find mates may benefit from using both stationary calling and active exploration, but these also expose them to different types of predators. Studying calling and searching behaviours concurrently allows us to understand their evolutionary trade-offs between survival and reproduction. Unlike most other crickets, lebinthine males alternate between singing and exploration to find females, which offer a unique and excellent opportunity to test for inter-individual differences and behavioural syndrome between call properties and exploratory behaviours. Our data demonstrate that call properties and exploratory behaviour were repeatable. We did not, however, find that call properties correlate with exploration as some consistently exploratory individuals produce longer calls while others produce shorter calls. Our study suggests that lebinthine males use different combinations of calling and exploratory behaviours to cope with unpredictable risk–benefit scenarios.