Attractiveness of the male Acheta domesticus calling song to females.

Sexually responsive female crickets ( Acheta domesticus) were exposed to electronically synthesized model calling songs (CSs) in an orientation arena. The female's walking during exposure to the CSs was recorded on videotape, digitized, and then analyzed using an algorithm that calculated the distance the female walked in 10 ° angle intervals (angle±5 °) with respect to the location of the sound source. The resulting polar orientation diagram (POD) presented the directional movements of 10 or more females with respect to the CS source. The PODs show that females responded to very attractive model CSs by walking directly toward the speaker. Less attractive CSs produced progressively less or no orientation toward the CS source. Each of the CS parameters was systematically changed and its attractiveness was evaluated: From these results, it is apparent that a change in any of the spectral or temporal parameters of the calling song altered its attractiveness to sexually responsive females. Thus, each feature of the calling song is encoded and used by the female cricket's nervous system in determining the attractiveness of a calling male. However, some CS features are more important than others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]