Evolutionary implications of variation in the calling song of the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus De Geer (Orthoptera : Gryllidae)

The acoustic communication system of the field cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus, comprises male signals that elicit phonotaxis by females.Although calling song traits have been implicated in mate recognition as well as sexual selection, the degree to which these two categories of call traits differ as well as the sources of variation that affect them have not been investigated.Variation in signaling traits implicated in mate recognition or sexual selection can bring about speciation.Gryllus bimaculatus occurs in Africa, Asia and Europe, and its communication system is easily measured, making it an ideal study organism to investigate the evolutionary implications of variation in signaling traits.