| Abstract: | In animal communication systems, matching mating signals and preferences enable species identification and successful reproduction. In some species, the environment introduces substantial variation in signals and/or preferences. Only a few studies have tested how the match between signals and preferences is maintained despite phenotypic variation. Signal–preference coupling in the context of phenotypic plasticity is the focus of this study. The bivoltine cricket Gryllus rubens displays seasonal differences in the pulse rate of its mating songs. The seasonal effect on other fine‐temporal characters of the songs besides pulse rate, such as pulse and interval duration, duty cycle, as well as the dominant frequency, is not known and is described in the first part of the study for a Kentucky population. In the second part of the study, we tested preferences of spring and fall females to determine whether they match the seasonal plasticity of male songs using single‐speaker phonotaxis experiments. We found that fall songs had a faster pulse rate, shorter pulse and interval durations, and a higher dominant frequency than spring songs. Female preferences shifted in parallel with male song plasticity, that is, spring females preferred the spring song and fall females the fall song. In addition, female responsiveness to male song was plastic as well, that is, fall females were significantly more responsive than spring females. The parallel plasticity of male songs and female preferences facilitates successful communication despite the environmentally induced variation. The potential origin and function of behavioral plasticity in G. rubens are discussed. |
