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Hiding behaviour in two cricket populations that differ in predation pressure
Despite evidence that predators and parasites influence the evolution of songs in crickets, less is known about the influence of predators and parasites on their hiding behaviour. However, crickets differ in the amount of time spent hiding in refuges. We studied the hiding behaviour of crickets from two populations that differ in predation and parasitism. We tethered crickets overnight in both habitats and found that more crickets were eaten in Arizona than in California. We also found more parasitic flies in Arizona than in California. These flies are attracted to male songs and lay their maggots on male crickets. The maggots burrow into the crickets, feed on their tissues, and eventually kill them. In the laboratory, male Arizona crickets hid longer in a novel environment than male California crickets. Our results suggest that hiding times of crickets are shaped by natural selection acting through predation and/or parasitism.DOI (Digital Object Identifier, will open in another window):: doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2006.03.018
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DOI (Digital Object Identifier, will open in another window):: doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2006.03.018