Ethology of the cricket Endecous (Endecous) chape Souza-Dias & de Mello, 2017 (Orthoptera: Grylloidea: Phalangopsidae) I: Agonistic and reproductive behavior

The mating behaviors of crickets, especially those related to agonistic encounters and oviposition, are poorly known. For example, only 10 of the 1005 valid species of Phalangopsidae have been studied to some extent. Here, we describe the reproductive behavior of Endecous (Endecous) chape, characterizing the actions involved in agonistic encounters, mating behaviors (female attraction, pair-formation, courtship, mating, and post-copulatory behavior), and oviposition. We recorded and timed agonistic, mating, and oviposition behaviors in staged trials. The male-male interactions of E. chape ranged in aggressiveness from low intensity (only antennal interaction) to high intensity (reciprocal fights). In the mating behavior, males courted females through antennation of the females’ abdomen and cerci, followed by production of acoustic signals (with the exception of two males). Copulation occurred with females positioned above males (as is typical of Phalangopsidae), with an average elapsed time of 684.13 s, which is shorter than in other Phalangopsidae. We observed oviposition behavior only when three gravid females were placed together in an arena. Here, we contribute new knowledge of phalangopsid cricket behavior and provide useful information for understanding the evolution of reproductive behaviors. New characters described here can be used in phylogenetic analysis and for future studies about sexual selection and natural history.

Abstract licence: CC BY

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