Size-dependent response to conspecific mating calls by male crickets

Male sexual displays provide females with information that is crucial to th eir. reproductive decisions. That same information is available to eavesdro ppers, with potential consequences for both signaller and receiver. We pres ent empirical evidence for size-dependent responses to intersexual communic ation by conspecific rivals. Acoustic features of a male house cricket's (A cheta domesticus) mating call are positively associated with its size, with females preferring the calls of larger males. In order to investigate whet her conspecific males make use of the information content of mating calls, we examined their phonotactic responses to call recordings that differ in a ttractiveness to females, Males of all sizes exhibited positive phonotaxis, with smaller males showing a clear preference for female-preferred calls. Smaller males were also less likely to seek contact with tilt, speaker play ing their chosen call. We discuss possible explanations for this size-depen dent male behaviour.