Evolution of acoustical communication in insects

在田野蟋蟀中，雄性叫声从远处吸引雌性。但呼唤雄性也会吸引寄生苍蝇--苍蝇，它们会在呼唤的雄性身上寄生活的蚯蚓。苍蝇幼虫在大约7天内吞噬了蟋蟀。雄蟋蟀的叫声越大或频率越高，会吸引更多的雌蟋蟀，但也会吸引更多的寄生蝇。棉铃虫的交配行为受到苍蝇的强烈影响。例如，雄性蟋蟀经常在呼叫雄性附近保持沉默，在那里它们拦截被其他雄性呼叫所吸引的雌性，即所谓的卫星行为。许多此前沉默的雄性在黎明前开始叫唤，而这段时间苍蝇不那么活跃。雄蟋蟀也比雌蟋蟀年轻得多。我们正在研究不同类型的蟋蟀歌声对苍蝇的引诱率，不同种类蟋蟀寄生地区的寄生水平，以及不同苍蝇密度条件下雄蟋蟀的繁殖力和寿命。许多实验室现在正在扩展我们的研究，包括苍蝇听力的神经生物学，一些蟋蟀完全丧失了歌声，以及利用苍蝇来控制进口蟋蟀害虫。

In field crickets, Gryllus texensis, calling males attract females from a distance. But calling males also attract parasitic flies, Ormia ochracea, that deposit living maggots on calling males. Fly larvae devour the cricket in about 7 days. Calling more loudly or more often by male crickets attracts more female cricket, but more parasitic flies are also attracted. The mating behaviour of G. texensis has been strongly influenced by flies. For example, male crickets often remain silent near calling males where they intercept females attracted by the calling of other males, so-called satellite behaviour. Many previously silent males start calling just before dawn, a time when flies are less active. Male G. texensis are also much younger than female crickets. We are studying the rates of fly attraction to different types of cricket songs, the levels of parasitism in areas where different species of crickets are hosts, and the reproduction and lifespan of male crickets under different conditions of fly density. Many laboratories are now extending our studies including the neurobiology of fly hearing, complete loss of song in some crickets and the use of flies to control imported cricket pests.