Behavioral responses of a parasitoid fly to rapidly evolving host signals
Abstract Animals eavesdrop on signals and cues generated by prey, predators, hosts, parasites, competing species, and conspecifics, and the conspicuousness of sexual signals makes them particularly susceptible. Yet, when sexual signals evolve, most attention is paid to impacts on intended receivers...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2022-08-01
|
| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9193 |
| _version_ | 1811213065612427264 |
|---|---|
| author | E. Dale Broder James H. Gallagher Aaron W. Wikle Cameron P. Venable David M. Zonana Spencer J. Ingley Tanner C. Smith Robin M. Tinghitella |
| author_facet | E. Dale Broder James H. Gallagher Aaron W. Wikle Cameron P. Venable David M. Zonana Spencer J. Ingley Tanner C. Smith Robin M. Tinghitella |
| author_sort | E. Dale Broder |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Animals eavesdrop on signals and cues generated by prey, predators, hosts, parasites, competing species, and conspecifics, and the conspicuousness of sexual signals makes them particularly susceptible. Yet, when sexual signals evolve, most attention is paid to impacts on intended receivers (potential mates) rather than fitness consequences for eavesdroppers. Using the rapidly evolving interaction between the Pacific field cricket, Teleogryllus oceanicus, and the parasitoid fly, Ormia ochracea, we asked how parasitoids initially respond to novel changes in host signals. We recently discovered a novel sexual signal, purring song, in Hawaiian populations of T. oceanicus that appears to have evolved because it protects the cricket from the parasitoid while still allowing males to attract female crickets for mating. In Hawaii, there are no known alternative hosts for the parasitoid, so we would expect flies to be under selection to detect and attend to the new purring song. We used complementary field and laboratory phonotaxis experiments to test fly responses to purring songs that varied in many dimensions, as well as to ancestral song. We found that flies strongly prefer ancestral song over purring songs in both the field and the lab, but we caught more flies to purring songs in the field than reported in previous work, indicating that flies may be exerting some selective pressure on the novel song. When played at realistic amplitudes, we found no preferences–flies responded equally to all purrs that varied in frequency, broadbandedness, and temporal measures. However, our lab experiment did reveal the first evidence of preference for purring song amplitude, as flies were more attracted to purrs played at amplitudes greater than naturally occurring purring songs. As purring becomes more common throughout Hawaii, flies that can use purring song to locate hosts should be favored by selection and increase in frequency. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T05:41:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8f92bc6ca8a5429fbf36f4740aad1d40 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T05:41:14Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-8f92bc6ca8a5429fbf36f4740aad1d402022-12-22T03:45:39ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582022-08-01128n/an/a10.1002/ece3.9193Behavioral responses of a parasitoid fly to rapidly evolving host signalsE. Dale Broder0James H. Gallagher1Aaron W. Wikle2Cameron P. Venable3David M. Zonana4Spencer J. Ingley5Tanner C. Smith6Robin M. Tinghitella7Department of Biology University of Denver Denver Colorado USADepartment of Biology University of Denver Denver Colorado USADepartment of Biology University of Denver Denver Colorado USADepartment of Biology University of Denver Denver Colorado USADepartment of Biology University of Denver Denver Colorado USABrigham Young University–Hawaii Laie Hawaii USABrigham Young University–Hawaii Laie Hawaii USADepartment of Biology University of Denver Denver Colorado USAAbstract Animals eavesdrop on signals and cues generated by prey, predators, hosts, parasites, competing species, and conspecifics, and the conspicuousness of sexual signals makes them particularly susceptible. Yet, when sexual signals evolve, most attention is paid to impacts on intended receivers (potential mates) rather than fitness consequences for eavesdroppers. Using the rapidly evolving interaction between the Pacific field cricket, Teleogryllus oceanicus, and the parasitoid fly, Ormia ochracea, we asked how parasitoids initially respond to novel changes in host signals. We recently discovered a novel sexual signal, purring song, in Hawaiian populations of T. oceanicus that appears to have evolved because it protects the cricket from the parasitoid while still allowing males to attract female crickets for mating. In Hawaii, there are no known alternative hosts for the parasitoid, so we would expect flies to be under selection to detect and attend to the new purring song. We used complementary field and laboratory phonotaxis experiments to test fly responses to purring songs that varied in many dimensions, as well as to ancestral song. We found that flies strongly prefer ancestral song over purring songs in both the field and the lab, but we caught more flies to purring songs in the field than reported in previous work, indicating that flies may be exerting some selective pressure on the novel song. When played at realistic amplitudes, we found no preferences–flies responded equally to all purrs that varied in frequency, broadbandedness, and temporal measures. However, our lab experiment did reveal the first evidence of preference for purring song amplitude, as flies were more attracted to purrs played at amplitudes greater than naturally occurring purring songs. As purring becomes more common throughout Hawaii, flies that can use purring song to locate hosts should be favored by selection and increase in frequency.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9193noveltyOrmia ochraceaparasite–hostphonotaxispreferenceTeleogryllus oceanicus |
| spellingShingle | E. Dale Broder James H. Gallagher Aaron W. Wikle Cameron P. Venable David M. Zonana Spencer J. Ingley Tanner C. Smith Robin M. Tinghitella Behavioral responses of a parasitoid fly to rapidly evolving host signals Ecology and Evolution novelty Ormia ochracea parasite–host phonotaxis preference Teleogryllus oceanicus |
| title | Behavioral responses of a parasitoid fly to rapidly evolving host signals |
| title_full | Behavioral responses of a parasitoid fly to rapidly evolving host signals |
| title_fullStr | Behavioral responses of a parasitoid fly to rapidly evolving host signals |
| title_full_unstemmed | Behavioral responses of a parasitoid fly to rapidly evolving host signals |
| title_short | Behavioral responses of a parasitoid fly to rapidly evolving host signals |
| title_sort | behavioral responses of a parasitoid fly to rapidly evolving host signals |
| topic | novelty Ormia ochracea parasite–host phonotaxis preference Teleogryllus oceanicus |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9193 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT edalebroder behavioralresponsesofaparasitoidflytorapidlyevolvinghostsignals AT jameshgallagher behavioralresponsesofaparasitoidflytorapidlyevolvinghostsignals AT aaronwwikle behavioralresponsesofaparasitoidflytorapidlyevolvinghostsignals AT cameronpvenable behavioralresponsesofaparasitoidflytorapidlyevolvinghostsignals AT davidmzonana behavioralresponsesofaparasitoidflytorapidlyevolvinghostsignals AT spencerjingley behavioralresponsesofaparasitoidflytorapidlyevolvinghostsignals AT tannercsmith behavioralresponsesofaparasitoidflytorapidlyevolvinghostsignals AT robinmtinghitella behavioralresponsesofaparasitoidflytorapidlyevolvinghostsignals |