P-19 Phonotaxis Tuning in Male-Exposed Female Cricket Acheta domesticus

Buller Hall 208

Phonotactic behavior of female cricket Acheta domesticus has been shown to vary among individuals. While some females are finely tuned to calls with syllable periods in the natural range of conspecific males, others respond phonotactically to a wider range of syllable periods and therefore lack the ability to discriminate between attractive and unattractive calls. When females are exposed to males but prevented from mating, their ability to discriminate attractive calls is reduced, suggesting that factors other than mating alter phonotactic behavior. This study evaluates the effect of male exposure on the females’ tuning of phonotaxis and its underlying neural elements.