Similarities and differences in structure and information content among calling song, courtship song and aggression song in Acheta domesticus crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae)

The ability of crickets to produce three distinct, context-specific acoustic signals – calling song, courtship song, and aggression song – provides a model for understanding how complex communication systems evolve to mediate competing pressures like mate attraction and rival deterrence. Here, we measured all three song types from a cohort of male house crickets (Acheta domesticus) to make direct comparisons of song structure and information content between the calling, courtship, and aggression songs. We show that there are significant structural differences between song types. Calling song was the loudest, showed the least variability, and exhibited the highest repeatability, consistent with the hypothesis that calling song functions primarily for mate localisation and species recognition. Courtship song was quietest, with the greatest variation in song parameters. Aggression song was intermediate both in amplitude and variation among song parameters. We also examined associations between song parameters and male age and phenotype. We found that house cricket songs contain information about male condition and morphological symmetry in temporal components of song, and we suggest further studies of differences among song types in the information they may provide to potential mates and rivals.