DISSERTATION RESEARCH: The Effects of a Phonotactic Parasitoid Fly on Geographic Variation in Calling Behavior of the Field Cricket, Teleogryllus oceanicus

雄性夏威夷蟋蟀Teleogryllus oceanicus的歌声吸引了雌性蟋蟀交配和致命的寄生苍蝇。 以危险的方式唱歌的男性（例如，歌声中更多的脉冲）更有可能吸引雌性和苍蝇。 此外，被雄蟋蟀吸引的雌蟋蟀本身也可能被寄生。 该项目的目标是表明，吸引苍蝇的机会在夏威夷群岛之间存在差异，男性唱歌和女性对歌曲的反应也相应地有所不同。 歌曲变量和歌唱时间表的雄性蟋蟀将为每个岛屿的特点，以确定是否有风险的歌唱是不太常见的苍蝇更有可能攻击。 来自每个岛屿的雌性将被测试，看看在具有高苍蝇吸引力的岛屿上，对危险歌曲的偏好是否会减少。 因此，这项研究将检验吸引配偶与避免寄生虫之间的权衡。交配是动物将基因传给后代的最重要因素。 这个项目调查了交配行为的变化如何与天敌的存在相关联。 这对保护动物多样性很重要，因为动物的分布模式受到捕食者和寄生虫的影响。 这也是至关重要的计划，其中天敌，如寄生虫作为替代农药来控制害虫。

Songs of the male Hawaiian cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus attract both female crickets for mating and deadly parasitic flies. Males that sing in risky ways (e.g., more pulses in the song) are more likely to attract both females and flies. Moreover female crickets attracted to a male may themselves become parasitized. The project goal is to show that the chance of attracting flies varies among the Hawaiian islands, and that male singing and female responses to song vary accordingly. Song variables and singing schedules of male crickets will be characterized for each island to determine whether risky singing is less common where flies are more likely to attack. Females from each island will be tested to see if preference for risky song is reduced on islands with high fly attraction. This research, then, will examine the tradeoffs involved in mate attraction versus parasite avoidance.Mating is paramount for animals to pass their genes on to future generations. This project investigates how variation in mating behavior is associated with the presence of natural enemies. This is important for the conservation of animal diversity because the distribution patterns of animals are influenced by predators and parasites. It is also crucial for programs in which natural enemies such as parasites are used as alternatives to pesticides to control pests.