Coevolution of male mating signal and female preference during early lineage divergence of the Hawaiian cricket, Laupala cerasina

Chemical species recognition in an adaptive radiation of Hawaiian Tetragnatha spiders (Araneae: Tetragnathidae)

Studies of adaptive radiations have played a central role in our understanding of reproductive isolation. Yet the focus has been on human-biased visual and auditory signals, leaving gaps in our knowledge of other modalities. To date, studies on chemical signals in adaptive radiations have focused on systems with multimodal signalling, making it difficult to isolate the role chemicals play in reproductive isolation. In this study we examine the use of chemical signals in the species recognition and adaptive radiation of Hawaiian Tetragnatha spiders by focusing on entire communities of co-occurring species, and conducting behavioural assays in conjunction with chemical analysis of their silks using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Male spiders significantly preferred the silk extracts of conspecific mates over those of sympatric heterospecifics. The compounds found in the silk extracts, long chain alkyl methyl ethers, were remarkably species-specific in the combination and quantity. The differences in the profile were greatest between co-occurring species and between closely related sibling species. Lastly, there were significant differences in the chemical profile between two populations of a particular species. These findings provide key insights into the role chemical signals play in the attainment and maintenance of reproductive barriers between closely related co-occurring species.

A new species of Svistella Gorochov, 1987 from Xizang, China (Orthoptera, Trigonidiidae, Trigonidiinae)

The genus Svistella Gorochov, 1987 includes 10 species from Asia, with nine documented in China. In this study, a new species, Svistellayayun He, sp. nov., is described from Xizang, China. Morphologically, it resembles S.rufonotata (Chopard, 1932) but can be distinguished by a smaller inner tympanum, dark-brown setae on the 5th segment of the maxillary palp, and a rounded apex on the ectoparamere. To validate our morphological inferences and support the description of S.yayunsp. nov. as a new species, we performed a PCA based on bioacoustics parameters and molecular analysis. All Svistella species documented in China are distinguished by integrating their songs and DNA barcoding.

Male-male interactions shape mate selection in Drosophila

Males of many species have evolved behavioral traits to both attract females and repel rivals. Here, we explore mate selection in Drosophila from both the male and female perspective to shed light on how these key components of sexual selection - female choice and male-male competition - work in concert to guide reproductive strategies. We find that male flies fend off competing suitors by interleaving their courtship of a female with aggressive wing flicks, which both repel competitors and generate a 'song' that obscures the female's auditory perception of other potential mates. Two higher-order circuit nodes - P1a and pC1x neurons - are coordinately recruited to allow males to flexibly interleave these agonistic actions with courtship displays, assuring they persistently pursue females until their rival falters. Together, our results suggest that female mating decisions are shaped by male-male interactions, underscoring how a male's ability to subvert his rivals is central to his reproductive success.

Geographic variation in the matching between call characteristics and tympanic sensitivity in the Weeping lizard

Effective communication requires a match among signal characteristics, environmental conditions, and receptor tuning and decoding. The degree of matching, however, can vary, among others due to different selective pressures affecting the communication components. For evolutionary novelties, strong selective pressures are likely to act upon the signal and receptor to promote a tight match among them. We test this prediction by exploring the coupling between the acoustic signals and auditory sensitivity in Liolaemus chiliensis, the Weeping lizard, the only one of more than 285 Liolaemus species that vocalizes. Individuals emit distress calls that convey information of predation risk to conspecifics, which may respond with antipredator behaviors upon hearing calls. Specifically, we explored the match between spectral characteristics of the distress calls and the tympanic sensitivities of two populations separated by more than 700 km, for which previous data suggested variation in their distress calls. We found that populations differed in signal and receptor characteristics and that this signal variation was explained by population differences in body size. No precise match occurred between the communication components studied, and populations differed in the degree of such correspondence. We suggest that this difference in matching between populations relates to evolutionary processes affecting the Weeping lizard distress calls.

Axes of multivariate sexual signal divergence among incipient species: Concordance with selection, genetic variation and phenotypic plasticity

Sexual signalling traits are often observed to diverge rapidly among populations, thereby playing a potentially key early role in the evolution of reproductive isolation. While often assumed to reflect divergent sexual selection among populations, patterns of sexual trait diversification might sometimes be biased along axes of standing additive genetic variation and covariation among trait components. Additionally, theory predicts that environmentally induced phenotypic variation might facilitate rapid trait evolution, suggesting that patterns of divergence between populations should mirror phenotypic plasticity within populations. Here, we evaluate the concordance between observed axes of multivariate sexual trait divergence and predicted divergence based on (1) interpopulation variation in sexual selection, (2) additive genetic variances and (3) temperature-related phenotypic plasticity in male courtship song among geographically isolated populations of the Hawaiian swordtail cricket, Laupala cerasina, which exhibit sexual isolation due acoustic signalling traits. The major axis of multivariate divergence, d_max , accounted for 76% of variation among population male song trait means and was moderately correlated with interpopulation differences in directional sexual selection based on female preferences. However, the majority of additive genetic variance was largely oriented away from the direction of divergence, suggesting that standing genetic variation may not play a dominant role in the patterning of signal divergence. In contrast, the axis of phenotypic plasticity strongly mirrored patterns of interpopulation phenotypic divergence, which is consistent with a role for temperature-related plasticity in facilitating instead of inhibiting male song evolution and sexual isolation in these incipient species. We propose potential mechanisms by which sexual selection might interact with phenotypic plasticity to facilitate the rapid acoustic diversification observed in this species and clade.

When Do Opposites Attract? A Model Uncovering the Evolution of Disassortative Mating

AbstractDisassortative mating is a rare form of mate preference that promotes the persistence of polymorphism. While the evolution of assortative mating and its consequences for trait variation and speciation have been extensively studied, the conditions enabling the evolution of disassortative mating are still poorly understood. Mate preferences increase the risk of missing mating opportunities, a cost that can be compensated by a greater fitness of offspring. Heterozygote advantage should therefore promote the evolution of disassortative mating, which maximizes the number of heterozygous offspring. From the analysis of a two-locus diploid model with one locus controlling the mating cue under viability selection and the other locus coding for the level of disassortative preference, we show that heterozygote advantage and negative frequency-dependent viability selection acting at the cue locus promote the evolution of disassortative preferences. We predict conditions of evolution of disassortative mating coherent with selection regimes acting on traits observed in the wild. We also show that disassortative mating generates sexual selection, which disadvantages heterozygotes at the cue locus, limiting the evolution of disassortative preferences. Altogether, our results partially explain why this behavior is rare in natural populations.

Spatial Mixing between Calling Males of Two Closely Related, Sympatric Crickets Suggests Beneficial Heterospecific Interactions in a NonAdaptive Radiation

Sympatry among closely related species occurs in both adaptive and nonadaptive radiations. Among closely related, sympatric species of a nonadaptive radiation, the lack of ecological differentiation brings species into continual contact where individuals are exposed to the risk of reproductive interference. Selection thus should cause divergence in multiple components mediating the reproductive boundary. Besides differentiation of reproductive signals per se, spatial segregation is a commonly proposed mechanism that can mitigate reproductive interference. Studying a pair of broadly sympatric, closely related cricket species from a nonadaptive radiation in Hawaii, we 1) quantified acoustic divergence of male songs and 2) tested alternative hypotheses of spatial distribution of calling males of the 2 species. Acoustic analyses of the recorded songs showed that, while the 2 species differed substantially in pulse rate, no spectral or fine temporal segregation of the pulse structure was evident, indicating the potential for acoustic masking. Moreover, we found that calling males of the 2 species are highly mixed both vertically and horizontally and showed the same preference for calling sites. More surprisingly, calling males were found to form mixed-species calling clusters where heterospecific males are closer to each other than conspecific males. Such an individual spacing pattern suggests low heterospecific aggression and/or high conspecific competition. Because females prefer higher sound intensity, heterospecific males may benefit, rather than interfere, with each other in attracting females. These findings offer a potential mechanism enabling species coexistence in sympatry.

Speciation across the Tree of Life

Much of what we know about speciation comes from detailed studies of well-known model systems. Although there have been several important syntheses on speciation, few (if any) have explicitly compared speciation among major groups across the Tree of Life. Here, we synthesize and compare what is known about key aspects of speciation across taxa, including bacteria, protists, fungi, plants, and major animal groups. We focus on three main questions. Is allopatric speciation predominant across groups? How common is ecological divergence of sister species (a requirement for ecological speciation), and on what niche axes do species diverge in each group? What are the reproductive isolating barriers in each group? Our review suggests the following patterns. (i) Based on our survey and projected species numbers, the most frequent speciation process across the Tree of Life may be co-speciation between endosymbiotic bacteria and their insect hosts. (ii) Allopatric speciation appears to be present in all major groups, and may be the most common mode in both animals and plants, based on non-overlapping ranges of sister species. (iii) Full sympatry of sister species is also widespread, and may be more common in fungi than allopatry. (iv) Full sympatry of sister species is more common in some marine animals than in terrestrial and freshwater ones. (v) Ecological divergence of sister species is widespread in all groups, including ~70% of surveyed species pairs of plants and insects. (vi) Major axes of ecological divergence involve species interactions (e.g. host-switching) and habitat divergence. (vii) Prezygotic isolation appears to be generally more widespread and important than postzygotic isolation. (viii) Rates of diversification (and presumably speciation) are strikingly different across groups, with the fastest rates in plants, and successively slower rates in animals, fungi, and protists, with the slowest rates in prokaryotes. Overall, our study represents an initial step towards understanding general patterns in speciation across all organisms.

Neuroethology of acoustic communication in field crickets - from signal generation to song recognition in an insect brain

Field crickets are best known for the loud calling songs produced by males to attract conspecific females. This review aims to summarize the current knowledge of the neurobiological basis underlying the acoustic communication for mate finding in field crickets with emphasis on the recent research progress to understand the neuronal networks for motor pattern generation and auditory pattern recognition of the calling song in Gryllus bimaculatus. Strong scientific interest into the neural mechanisms underlying intraspecific communication has driven persistently advancing research efforts to study the male singing behaviour and female phonotaxis for mate finding in these insects. The growing neurobiological understanding also inspired many studies testing verifiable hypotheses in sensory ecology, bioacoustics and on the genetics and evolution of behaviour. Over last decades, acoustic communication in field crickets served as a very successful neuroethological model system. It has contributed significantly to the scientific process of establishing, reconsidering and refining fundamental concepts in behavioural neurosciences such as command neurons, central motor pattern generation, corollary discharge processing and pattern recognition by sensory feature detection, which are basic building blocks of our modern understanding on how nervous systems control and generate behaviour in all animals.

Influence of host plant, geography and pheromone strain on genomic differentiation in sympatric populations of Ostrinia nubilalis

Patterns of mating for the European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis) moth depend in part on variation in sex-pheromone blend. The ratio of (E)-11- and (Z)-11-tetradecenyl acetate (E11- and Z11-14:OAc) in the pheromone blend that females produce and males respond to differs between strains of O. nubilalis. Populations also vary in female oviposition preference for and larval performance on maize (C4) and nonmaize (C3) host plants. The relative contributions of sexual and ecological trait variation to the genetic structure of O. nubilalis remains unknown. Host-plant use (¹³ C/¹⁴ C ratios) and genetic differentiation were estimated among sympatric E and Z pheromone strain O. nubilalis males collected in sex-pheromone baited traps at 12 locations in Pennsylvania and New York between 2007 and 2010. Among genotypes at 65 single nucleotide polymorphism marker loci, variance at a position in the pheromone gland fatty acyl-reductase (pgfar) gene at the locus responsible for determining female pheromone ratio (Pher) explained 64% of the total genetic differentiation between males attracted to different pheromones (male response, Resp), providing evidence of sexual inter-selection at these unlinked loci. Principal coordinate, Bayesian clustering, and distance-based redundancy analysis (dbRDA) demonstrate that host plant history or geography does not significantly contribute to population variation or differentiation among males. In contrast, these analyses indicate that pheromone response and pgfar-defined strain contribute significantly to population genetic differentiation. This study suggests that behavioural divergence probably plays a larger role in driving genetic variation compared to host plant-defined ecological adaptation.

The impact of age and egg-laying cycle on female grasshoppers' preference functions for acoustic signals

Female responsiveness and the shape of preference functions for male signal traits are important determinants for male mating success. We observed the responsiveness and the selectivity of virgin grasshopper females (Chorthippus biguttulus L.) for different features of males' acoustic signals throughout their life span to detect possible influences of age on the females' preference functions. In particular, we explored the hypothesis that the females may become less selective with increasing age and, therefore, would start to accept songs that are normally rejected. Such an age effect could relieve the selection pressure on male signal traits. In the majority of animals tested, the general responsiveness decreased with age although a few individuals exhibited an opposite trend. Contrary to the above expectation, there was no indication of a loss of selectivity in older females or an increased acceptance of normally unattractive song models. The timing within the oviposition cycle had a strong effect on responsiveness: near oviposition the general responsiveness increased and with it also the half width of the preference functions. However, highly unattractive song models remained unattractive also near oviposition.

The Genomic Architecture of a Rapid Island Radiation: Recombination Rate Variation, Chromosome Structure, and Genome Assembly of the Hawaiian Cricket Laupala

Phenotypic evolution and speciation depend on recombination in many ways. Within populations, recombination can promote adaptation by bringing together favorable mutations and decoupling beneficial and deleterious alleles. As populations diverge, crossing over can give rise to maladapted recombinants and impede or reverse diversification. Suppressed recombination due to genomic rearrangements, modifier alleles, and intrinsic chromosomal properties may offer a shield against maladaptive gene flow eroding coadapted gene complexes. Both theoretical and empirical results support this relationship. However, little is known about this relationship in the context of behavioral isolation, where coevolving signals and preferences are the major hybridization barrier. Here we examine the genomic architecture of recently diverged, sexually isolated Hawaiian swordtail crickets (Laupala). We assemble a de novo genome and generate three dense linkage maps from interspecies crosses. In line with expectations based on the species' recent divergence and successful interbreeding in the laboratory, the linkage maps are highly collinear and show no evidence for large-scale chromosomal rearrangements. Next, the maps were used to anchor the assembly to pseudomolecules and estimate recombination rates across the genome to test the hypothesis that loci involved in behavioral isolation (song and preference divergence) are in regions of low interspecific recombination. Contrary to our expectations, the genomic region where a male song and female preference QTL colocalize is not associated with particularly low recombination rates. This study provides important novel genomic resources for an emerging evolutionary genetics model system and suggests that trait-preference coevolution is not necessarily facilitated by locally suppressed recombination.

The Genetics of a Behavioral Speciation Phenotype in an Island System

Mating behavior divergence can make significant contributions to reproductive isolation and speciation in various biogeographic contexts. However, whether the genetic architecture underlying mating behavior divergence is related to the biogeographic history and the tempo and mode of speciation remains poorly understood. Here, we use quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping to infer the number, distribution, and effect size of mating song rhythm variations in the crickets Laupala eukolea and Laupala cerasina, which occur on different islands (Maui and Hawaii). We then compare these results with a similar study of an independently evolving species pair that diverged within the same island. Finally, we annotate the L. cerasina transcriptome and test whether the QTL fall in functionally enriched genomic regions. We document a polygenic architecture behind the song rhythm divergence in the inter-island species pair that is remarkably similar to that previously found for an intra-island species pair in the same genus. Importantly, the QTL regions were significantly enriched for potential homologs of the genes involved in pathways that may be modulating the cricket song rhythm. These clusters of loci could constrain the spatial genomic distribution of the genetic variation underlying the cricket song variation and harbor several candidate genes that merit further study.

Change in male coloration associated with artificial selection on foraging colour preference

Sensory drive proposes that natural selection on nonmating behaviours (e.g. foraging preferences) alters sensory system properties and results in a correlated effect on mating preferences and subsequently sexual traits. In colour-based systems, we can test this by selecting on nonmating colour preferences and testing for responses in colour-based female preferences and male sexual coloration. In guppies (Poecilia reticulata), individual functional links of sensory drive have been demonstrated providing an opportunity to test the process over more than one link. We measured male coloration and female preferences in populations previously artificially selected for colour-based foraging behaviour towards two colours, red and blue. We found associated changes in male coloration in the expected direction as well as weak changes in female preferences. Our results can be explained by a correlated response in female preferences due to artificial selection on foraging preferences that are mediated by a shared sensory system or by other mechanisms such as colour avoidance, pleiotropy or social experiences. This is the first experimental evidence that selection on a nonmating behaviour can affect male coloration and, more weakly, female preferences.

The Role of Sexual Selection in Local Adaptation and Speciation

Sexual selection plays several intricate and complex roles in the related processes of local adaptation and speciation. In some cases sexual selection can promote these processes, but in others it can be inhibitory. We present theoretical and empirical evidence supporting these dual effects of sexual selection during local adaptation, allopatric speciation, and speciation with gene flow. Much of the empirical evidence for sexual selection promoting speciation is suggestive rather than conclusive; we present what would constitute strong evidence for sexual selection driving speciation. We conclude that although there is ample evidence that sexual selection contributes to the speciation process, it is very likely to do so only in concert with natural selection.

Beyond temperature coupling: Effects of temperature on ectotherm signaling and mate choice and the implications for communication in multispecies assemblages

Many organisms share communication channels, generating complex signaling environments that increase the risk of signal interference. Variation in abiotic conditions, such as temperature, may further exacerbate signal interference, particularly in ectotherms. We tested the effects of temperature on the pulse rate of male signals in a community of Oecanthus tree crickets, and for one focal species we also assessed its effect on female pulse rate preferences and motivation to seek mates. We confirm prior findings of temperature-dependent signals that result in increasing signal similarity at lower temperatures. Temperature also affected several aspects of female preferences: The preferred pulse rate value was temperature dependent, and nearly perfectly coupled with signal pulse rate; the range of pulse rate values that females found attractive also increased with temperature. By contrast, the motivation of females to perform phonotaxis was unaffected by temperature. Thus, at lower temperatures the signals of closely related species were more similar and females more discriminating. However, because signal similarity increased more strongly than female discrimination, signal interference and the likelihood of mismating may increase as temperatures drop. We suggest that a community approach will be useful for understanding the role of environmental variability in the evolution of communication systems.

Multiple, independent colonizations of the Hawaiian Archipelago by the family Dolichopodidae (Diptera)

The family Dolichopodidae forms two of the four largest evolutionary radiations in the Hawaiian Islands across all flies: Campsicnemus (183 spp) and the Eurynogaster complex (66 spp). They also include a small radiation of Conchopus (6 spp). A handful of other dolichopodid species are native to the islands in singleton lineages or small radiations. This study provides a phylogenetic perspective on the colonization history of the dolichopodid fauna in the islands. We generated a multi-gene data set including representatives from 11 of the 14 endemic Hawaiian dolichopodid genera to examine the history of colonization to the islands, and analyzed it using Bayesian and maximum likelihood phylogenetic methods. We used a subset of the data that included Conchopus and the eight genera comprising the Eurynogaster complex to estimate the first phylogenetic hypothesis for these endemic groups, then used Beast to estimate their age of arrival to the archipelago. The Eurynogaster complex, Campsicnemus and Conchopus are clearly the result of independent colonizations. The results strongly support the Eurynogaster complex as a monophyletic group, and also supports the monophyly of 4 of the 8 described genera within the complex (Adachia, Arciellia, Uropachys and Eurynogaster). Members of the family Dolichopodidae have been dispersing over vast distances to colonize the Hawaiian Archipelago for millions of years, leading to multiple independent evolutionary diversification events. The Eurynogaster complex arrived in the Hawaiian Archipelago 11.8 Ma, well before the arrival of Campsicnemus (4.5 Ma), and the even more recent Conchopus (1.8 Ma). Data presented here demonstrate that the Hawaiian Dolichopodidae both disperse and diversify easily, a rare combination that lays the groundwork for field studies on the reproductive isolating mechanisms and ecological partitioning of this group.

Predicting Where a Radiation Will Occur: Acoustic and Molecular Surveys Reveal Overlooked Diversity in Indian Ocean Island Crickets (Mogoplistinae: Ornebius)

Recent theory suggests that the geographic location of island radiations (local accumulation of species diversity due to cladogenesis) can be predicted based on island area and isolation. Crickets are a suitable group for testing these predictions, as they show both the ability to reach some of the most isolated islands in the world, and to speciate at small spatial scales. Despite substantial song variation between closely related species in many island cricket lineages worldwide, to date this characteristic has not received attention in the western Indian Ocean islands; existing species descriptions are based on morphology alone. Here we use a combination of acoustics and DNA sequencing to survey these islands for Ornebius crickets. We uncover a small but previously unknown radiation in the Mascarenes, constituting a three-fold increase in the Ornebius species diversity of this archipelago (from two to six species). A further new species is detected in the Comoros. Although double archipelago colonisation is the best explanation for species diversity in the Seychelles, in situ cladogenesis is the best explanation for the six species in the Mascarenes and two species of the Comoros. Whether the radiation of Mascarene Ornebius results from intra- or purely inter- island speciation cannot be determined on the basis of the phylogenetic data alone. However, the existence of genetic, song and ecological divergence at the intra-island scale is suggestive of an intra-island speciation scenario in which ecological and mating traits diverge hand-in-hand. Our results suggest that the geographic location of Ornebius radiations is partially but not fully explained by island area and isolation. A notable anomaly is Madagascar, where our surveys are consistent with existing accounts in finding no Ornebius species present. Possible explanations are discussed, invoking ecological differences between species and differences in environmental history between islands.

Sperm performance in conspecific and heterospecific female fluid

Divergent sexual selection within allopatric populations may result in divergent sexual phenotypes, which can act as reproductive barriers between populations upon secondary contact. This hypothesis has been most tested on traits involved in precopulatory sexual selection, with less work focusing on traits that act after copulation and before fertilization (i.e., postcopulatory prezygotic traits), particularly in internally fertilizing vertebrates. However, postcopulatory sexual selection within species can also drive trait divergence, resulting in reduced performance of heterospecific sperm within the female reproductive tract. Such incompatibilities, arising as a by‐product of divergent postcopulatory sexual selection in allopatry, can represent reproductive barriers, analogous to species‐assortative mating preferences. Here, we tested for postcopulatory prezygotic reproductive barriers between three pairs of taxa with diverged sperm phenotypes and moderate‐to‐high opportunity for postcopulatory sexual selection (barn swallows Hirundo rustica versus sand martins Riparia riparia, two subspecies of bluethroats, Luscinia svecica svecica versus L. s. namnetum, and great tits Parus major versus blue tits Cyanistes caeruleus). We tested sperm swimming performance in fluid from the outer reproductive tract of females, because the greatest reduction in sperm number in birds occurs as sperm swim across the vagina. Contrary to our expectations, sperm swam equally well in fluid from conspecific and heterospecific females, suggesting that postcopulatory prezygotic barriers do not act between these taxon pairs, at this stage between copulation and fertilization. We therefore suggest that divergence in sperm phenotypes in allopatry is insufficient to cause widespread postcopulatory prezygotic barriers in the form of impaired sperm swimming performance in passerine birds.

The locus of sexual selection: moving sexual selection studies into the post-genomics era

Sexual selection drives fundamental evolutionary processes such as trait elaboration and speciation. Despite this importance, there are surprisingly few examples of genes unequivocally responsible for variation in sexually selected phenotypes. This lack of information inhibits our ability to predict phenotypic change due to universal behaviours, such as fighting over mates and mate choice. Here, we discuss reasons for this apparent gap and provide recommendations for how it can be overcome by adopting contemporary genomic methods, exploiting underutilized taxa that may be ideal for detecting the effects of sexual selection and adopting appropriate experimental paradigms. Identifying genes that determine variation in sexually selected traits has the potential to improve theoretical models and reveal whether the genetic changes underlying phenotypic novelty utilize common or unique molecular mechanisms. Such a genomic approach to sexual selection will help answer questions in the evolution of sexually selected phenotypes that were first asked by Darwin and can furthermore serve as a model for the application of genomics in all areas of evolutionary biology.

Barriers to gene exchange in hybridizing field crickets: the role of male courtship effort and cuticular hydrocarbons

Background

Pre-zygotic barriers often involve some form of sexual selection, usually interpreted as female choice, as females are typically the choosier sex. However, males typically show some mate preferences, which are increasingly reported. Here we document previously uncharacterized male courtship behavior (effort and song) and cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles in the hybridizing crickets Gryllus firmus and G. pennsylvanicus. These two species exhibit multiple barriers to gene exchange that act throughout their life history, including a behavioral barrier that results in increased time to mate in heterospecific pairs.

Results

We demonstrated that male mate choice (as courtship effort allocation) plays a more important role in the prezygotic behavioral barrier than previously recognized. In gryllids females ultimately decide whether or not to mate, yet we found males were selective by regulating courtship effort intensity toward the preferred (conspecific) females. Females were also selective by mating with more intensely courting males, which happened to be conspecifics. We report no differences in courtship song between the two species and suggest that the mechanism that allows males to act differentially towards conspecific and heterospecific females is the cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) composition. CHC profiles differed between males and females of both species, and there were clear differences in CHC composition between female G. firmus and G. pennsylvanicus but not between the males of each species.

Conclusion

Although many barriers to gene exchange are known in this system, the mechanism behind the mate recognition leading to reduced heterospecific mating remains unknown. The CHC profiles might be the phenotypic cue that allow males to identify conspecifics and thus to adjust their courtship intensity accordingly, leading to differential mating between species.

Insect speciation rules: unifying concepts in speciation research

The study of speciation is concerned with understanding the connection between causes of divergent evolution and the origin and maintenance of barriers to gene exchange between incipient species. Although the field has historically focused either on examples of recent divergence and its causes or on the genetic basis of reproductive isolation between already divergent species, current efforts seek to unify these two approaches. Here we integrate these perspectives through a discussion of recent progress in several insect speciation model systems. We focus on the evolution of speciation phenotypes in each system (i.e., those phenotypes causally involved in reducing gene flow between incipient species), drawing an explicit connection between cause and effect (process and pattern). We emphasize emerging insights into the genomic architecture of speciation as well as timely areas for future research.

Additive genetic architecture underlying a rapidly evolving sexual signaling phenotype in the Hawaiian cricket genus Laupala

Complex, quantitative traits are often the function of the coordinated action of many physically independent genetic factors. Interactive properties of multilocus genotypes, such as epistasis, are thought to be pervasive components of the genetic architecture of complex phenotypes. Here, we utilize a panel of interspecific backcross introgression lines to evaluate the genetic architecture of song variation, a quantitative sexual signaling phenotype, in the Hawaiian swordtail cricket genus Laupala. Allelic effects across five quantitative trait loci are consistent with a purely additive model of gene action, where alleles at multiple loci are found to have fully independent and discrete effects with respect to the sexual signaling phenotype. Whereas a more complex genetic architecture featuring non-additive dominance and epistasis components may constrain potential evolutionary trajectories and reduce the rate of evolutionary change, the polygenic, additive genetic architecture observed for sexual signaling in Laupala should respond rapidly to directional selection pressures and freely move throughout phenotypic space. This classic type I genetic architecture may facilitate the explosive radiation of song variation observed across the Laupala genus.

Diversification under sexual selection: the relative roles of mate preference strength and the degree of divergence in mate preferences

The contribution of sexual selection to diversification remains poorly understood after decades of research. This may be in part because studies have focused predominantly on the strength of sexual selection, which offers an incomplete view of selection regimes. By contrast, students of natural selection focus on environmental differences that help compare selection regimes across populations. To ask how this disparity in focus may affect the conclusions of evolutionary research, we relate the amount of diversification in mating displays to quantitative descriptions of the strength and the amount of divergence in mate preferences across a diverse set of case studies of mate choice. We find that display diversification is better explained by preference divergence rather than preference strength; the effect of the latter is more subtle, and is best revealed as an interaction with the former. Our findings cast the action of sexual selection (and selection in general) in a novel light: the strength of selection influences the rate of evolution, and how divergent selection is determines how much diversification can occur. Adopting this view will enhance tests of the relative role of natural and sexual selection in processes such as speciation.

Multivariate sexual selection in a rapidly evolving speciation phenotype

Estimating the fitness surface of rapidly evolving secondary sexual traits can elucidate the origins of sexual isolation and thus speciation. Evidence suggests that sexual selection is highly complex in nature, often acting on multivariate sexual characters that sometimes include non-heritable components of variation, thus presenting a challenge for predicting patterns of sexual trait evolution. Laupala crickets have undergone an explosive species radiation marked by divergence in male courtship song and associated female preferences, yet patterns of sexual selection that might explain this diversification remain unknown. We used female phonotaxis trials to estimate the fitness surface for acoustic characters within one population of Laupala cerasina, a species with marked geographical variation in male song and female preferences. Results suggested significant directional sexual selection on three major song traits, while canonical rotation of the matrix of nonlinear selection coefficients (γ) revealed the presence of significant convex (stabilizing) sexual selection along combinations of characters. Analysis of song variation within and among males indicated significantly higher repeatability along the canonical axis of greatest stabilizing selection than along the axis of greatest linear selection. These results are largely consistent with patterns of song divergence that characterize speciation and suggest that different song characters have the potential to indicate distinct information to females during courtship.

Multi-channel acoustic recording and automated analysis of Drosophila courtship songs

Background

Drosophila melanogaster has served as a powerful model system for genetic studies of courtship songs. To accelerate research on the genetic and neural mechanisms underlying courtship song, we have developed a sensitive recording system to simultaneously capture the acoustic signals from 32 separate pairs of courting flies as well as software for automated segmentation of songs.

Results

Our novel hardware design enables recording of low amplitude sounds in most laboratory environments. We demonstrate the power of this system by collecting, segmenting and analyzing over 18 hours of courtship song from 75 males from five wild-type strains of Drosophila melanogaster. Our analysis reveals previously undetected modulation of courtship song features and extensive natural genetic variation for most components of courtship song. Despite having a large dataset with sufficient power to detect subtle modulations of song, we were unable to identify previously reported periodic rhythms in the inter-pulse interval of song. We provide detailed instructions for assembling the hardware and for using our open-source segmentation software.

Conclusions

Analysis of a large dataset of acoustic signals from Drosophila melanogaster provides novel insight into the structure and dynamics of species-specific courtship songs. Our new system for recording and analyzing fly acoustic signals should therefore greatly accelerate future studies of the genetics, neurobiology and evolution of courtship song.

Cellular basis for singing motor pattern generation in the field cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus DeGeer)

The singing behavior of male crickets allows analyzing a central pattern generator (CPG) that was shaped by sexual selection for reliable production of species-specific communication signals. After localizing the essential ganglia for singing in Gryllus bimaculatus, we now studied the calling song CPG at the cellular level. Fictive singing was initiated by pharmacological brain stimulation. The motor pattern underlying syllables and chirps was recorded as alternating spike bursts of wing-opener and wing-closer motoneurons in a truncated wing nerve; it precisely reflected the natural calling song. During fictive singing, we intracellularly recorded and stained interneurons in thoracic and abdominal ganglia and tested their impact on the song pattern by intracellular current injections. We identified three interneurons of the metathoracic and first unfused abdominal ganglion that rhythmically de- and hyperpolarized in phase with the syllable pattern and spiked strictly before the wing-opener motoneurons. Depolarizing current injection in two of these opener interneurons caused additional rhythmic singing activity, which reliably reset the ongoing chirp rhythm. The closely intermeshing arborizations of the singing interneurons revealed the dorsal midline neuropiles of the metathoracic and three most anterior abdominal neuromeres as the anatomical location of singing pattern generation. In the same neuropiles, we also recorded several closer interneurons that rhythmically hyper- and depolarized in the syllable rhythm and spiked strictly before the wing-closer motoneurons. Some of them received pronounced inhibition at the beginning of each chirp. Hyperpolarizing current injection in the dendrite revealed postinhibitory rebound depolarization as one functional mechanism of central pattern generation in singing crickets.

Female preferences for spectral call properties in the western genetic lineage of Cope's gray treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis)

Female frogs discriminate among potential mates based on individual variation in male advertisement calls. While considerable data have accumulated allowing comparisons of female preference functions among species, we still lack fundamental knowledge about how and why the shapes of preference functions for particular call properties vary among populations within all but a few species. Here, we report results from a study aimed at describing female preference functions for spectral call properties in Cope's gray treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis). Widespread throughout the eastern half of North America, Cope's gray treefrog is the diploid member of the cryptic diploid-tetraploid Hyla versicolor species complex, and its populations are divided into two distinct genetic lineages (eastern and western). In this study of a western lineage population, we recorded and analyzed the spectral properties of 1000 advertisement calls from 50 males and conducted two-choice phonotaxis experiments to estimate a population-level preference function. Females preferred calls with average frequencies over calls with frequencies that were 2 or 3 semitones (1.4 or 2.1 standard deviations, respectively) lower than the population mean. We observed no behavioral discrimination between calls with average and higher-than-average frequencies. Preferences discriminating against low-frequency calls were weak and were abolished by attenuating the preferred average call by 3 dB. We discuss these results in light of previous studies of eastern lineage populations, geographic variation in female preference functions, and the potential adaptive value of discriminating against calls with low frequencies.

Widespread genetic linkage of mating signals and preferences in the Hawaiian cricket Laupala

The evolution of novel sexual communication systems is integral to the process of speciation, as it discourages gene flow between incipient species. Physical linkage between genes underlying male-female communication (i.e. sexual signals and preferences for them) facilitates both rapid and coordinated divergence of sexual communication systems between populations and reduces recombination in the face of occasional hybridization between diverging populations. Despite these ramifications of the genetic architecture of sexual communication for sexual selection and speciation, few studies have examined this relationship empirically. Previous studies of the closely related Hawaiian crickets Laupala paranigra and Laupala kohalensis have indirectly suggested that many of the genes underlying the difference in pulse rate of male song are physically linked with genes underlying the difference in female preference for pulse rate. Using marker-assisted introgression, we moved 'slow pulse rate' alleles from L. paranigra at five known quantitative trait loci (QTL) underlying male pulse rate into the 'fast pulse rate' genetic background of L. kohalensis and assessed the effect of these loci on female preference. An astounding four out of five song QTL predicted the preferences of female fourth-generation backcrosses, providing direct evidence for the extensive genetic linkage of song and preference in one of the fastest diversifying genera currently known.