Female bushcrickets mated with parasitized males show rapid remating and reduced fecundity (Orthoptera : Phaneropteridae : Poecilimon mariannae)

Following mating, female bushcrickets undergo a refractory period during wh ich they are sexually unreceptive. The length of the refractory period corr elates with the size of the spermatophylax. However, the size of the nuptia l gift of acoustically signalling bushcrickets is often reduced as a result of infections by parasitoid flies. We examined the effect of male parasito id infection on the induction of the refractory period and fecundity of fem ales. We found a drastically reduced refractory period in females if the fi rst mating partner was infected. During this shortened period fewer eggs we re deposited, as an effect of the shorter refractory period, whereas the da ily egg-laying rate remained the same regardless of whether the females wer e mated with a parasitized or an unparasitized male.