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Mating Resets Male Cricket Aggression

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Abstract

An animal’s motivational state can significantly impact its behavior. We examined the effects of mating on the aggression of male Acheta domesticus crickets. Pairs of males were allowed to establish dominance and subordinance and were then physically separated. Subordinate males were then allowed to either copulate with a female or to have chemo-tactile contact with, but to not copulate with, a female. Less than 15 min after separation, all male pairs engaged in a second agonistic encounter. Subordinate males that copulated with females were significantly more aggressive toward their dominant partners than un-mated subordinate males. Many mated subordinates became dominant. Allowing a subordinate male to contact, but not copulate with, a female had a similar effect, suggesting that chemo-tactile cues from the female are sufficient to elicit this change in aggression.

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Acknowledgment

The authors thank Ryan Allen, Aleksandar Tancevski, Josh Friedman, Joseph Thomas and Richard Zeinner for their technical assistance in the laboratory. We thank Dr. Tom Crist for his expert advice on the statistical analysis. Financial support was provided by NIMH grant R15 MH060607-01A2 and the Department of Zoology, Miami University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, Miami University, 212 Pearson Hall, Oxford, OH, USA

    Kathleen A. Killian & Janelle R. Allen

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  1. Kathleen A. Killian
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  2. Janelle R. Allen
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Correspondence to Kathleen A. Killian.

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Killian, K.A., Allen, J.R. Mating Resets Male Cricket Aggression. J Insect Behav 21, 535–548 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-008-9148-x

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