Complex multivariate sexual selection on male acoustic signaling in a wild population of Teleogryllus commodus

Abstract

Mate choice may impose both linear (i.e., directional) and nonlinear (i.e., quadratic and correlational) sexual selection on advertisement traits. Traditionally, mate recognition and sensory tuning have been thought to impose stabilizing (i.e., negative quadratic) sexual selection, whereas adaptive mate choice effects directional selection. It has been suggested that adaptive choice may exert positive quadratic and/or correlational sexual selection. Earlier, we showed that five structural components of the advertisement call of male field crickets (Teleogryllus commodus) were under multivariate stabilizing selection under laboratory conditions. Here we experimentally estimate selection on these five traits plus a measure of calling activity (the number of repeats in a looped bout of calling) in the field. There was general support for multivariate stabilizing selection on call structure, and calling activity was under strong positive directional selection, as predicted for a signal of genetic quality. There was, however, also appreciable correlational selection, suggesting an interaction between male call structure and calling effort. Interestingly, selection for short interbout durations of silence favored longer intercall durations in the field, in contrast to results from continuous looped call playback in the laboratory. We discuss the general importance of nonlinear selection in the honest signaling of genetic quality.