Socially Cued Anticipatory Adjustment of Female Signalling Effort in a Moth

Overview

Journal Biol Lett

Specialty Biology

Date 2020 Dec 1

PMID 33259772

Citations 3

Authors

Hieu T Pham

Kathryn B McNamara

Mark A Elgar

Affiliations

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Abstract

Juvenile population density has profound effects on subsequent adult development, morphology and reproductive investment. Yet, little is known about how the juvenile social environment affects adult investment into chemical sexual signalling. Male gumleaf skeletonizer moths, facultatively increase investment into antennae (pheromone receiving structures) when reared at low juvenile population densities, but whether there is comparable adjustment by females into pheromone investment is not known. We investigate how juvenile population density influences the 'calling' (pheromone-releasing) behaviour of females and the attractiveness of their pheromones. Female adjust their calling behaviour in response to socio-sexual cues: adult females reared in high juvenile population densities called earlier and for longer than those from low juvenile densities. Juvenile density also affected female pheromonal attractiveness: Y-maze olfactometer assays revealed that males prefer pheromones produced by females reared at high juvenile densities. This strategic investment in calling behaviour by females, based on juvenile cues that anticipate the future socio-sexual environment, likely reflects a response to avoid mating failure through competition with neighbouring signallers.

Citing Articles

Experimental immune challenges reduce the quality of male antennae and female pheromone output.

Pham H, Elgar M, van Lieshout E, McNamara K Sci Rep. 2022; 12(1):3578.

PMID: 35246550 PMC: 8897396. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07100-y.

Strategic pheromone signalling by mate searching females of the sexually cannibalistic spider .

Weiss K, Schneider J R Soc Open Sci. 2022; 9(1):211806.

PMID: 35116167 PMC: 8767209. DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211806.

Socially cued anticipatory adjustment of female signalling effort in a moth.

Pham H, McNamara K, Elgar M Biol Lett. 2020; 16(12):20200614.

PMID: 33259772 PMC: 7775976. DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0614.

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