Hybrid Cricket Auditory Behavior: Evidence for Genetic Coupling in Animal Communication

Abstract

Male field crickets produce species-specific and stereotyped calling songs. Conspecific females are attracted to the call. Reciprocal F1 hybrid females prefer the calls of sibling hybrids to reciprocal hybrids. Discrimination is probably based on temporal pattern and not carrier frequency of the call. The results imply that production of song by males and its detection by females have a common genetic basis.