Assessing a Possible Effect of Males' Pheromones in the Phonotaxis of Female Acheta Domesticus

Acoustic communication in crickets is crucial for reproduction. Females respond phonotactically to the male's call. Prior research evaluating the selectivity of phonotaxis in these females, has focused on females that have been isolated from males from day 1 after metamorphosis. However, assessing phonotaxis in females raised in the presence of males, remains to be done. This study aims to investigate the phonotactic response of female Acheta domesticus that were housed with males prior to testing. Results indicate that on average, male-exposed females respond phonotactically to a wider range of calls that those females in the control group. These results rule out the possibility that mating is a factor in changing the females' phonotactic response and opens the door to further evaluating the role of pheromones in the control of phonotaxis in these females.