The best of both worlds: cicada males change costly signals to achieve mates while females choose a mate based on both calling and courtship songs

Cicadas usually sing and mate in the higher parts of trees. Studies addressing the effects of different acoustic signals on mate choice in Cicadidae are very limited. We investigated the effects of both acoustical features and morphological traits on mate choice in an East Asian cicada Platypleura kaempferi. Males produce high-rate calling songs that attract females, then produce low-rate courtship songs to secure mating when a female is attracted. Higher calling song rate (CR), shorter single-pulse duration, and shorter pulse period of the calling song, together with lower courtship song rate and longer echeme period of the courtship song, are the most desirable traits used by females to choose a mate. These traits indicate that the more a male can raise the rate of song production, the higher the probability he is sexually selected by the female. No correlation was found between morphological traits and mating success. After mating, a minority of males started emitting calling songs again, but the CR was significantly lower than before mating and none of them attracted a new mate later. This promotes females mating with unmated males. We hypothesize that P. kaempferi may have the best of both worlds due to the unique song modulation and the mechanism of female mate choice: males change energetically, costly acoustic signals to achieve mates, while females choose a mate based on males' acoustic properties. Our results contribute to better understanding the diversity of mating preference and enrich the mechanism of mate choice in acoustic insects.

Automated summary

This study investigated the effects of acoustic features and morphological traits on mate choice in an East Asian cicada species. The results showed that females of this species prefer males with higher calling song rate and certain acoustic characteristics. However, no correlation was found between morphological traits and mating success. Furthermore, the study found that after mating, only a few males emitted calling songs again, but failed to attract new mates. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the diversity of mating preference and the mechanism of mate choice in acoustic insects.