Author： WALKER THOMAS J.
Publisher： Entomological Society of America
ISSN： 1938-2901
Source： Annals of the Entomological Society of America, Vol.91, Iss.2, 1998-03, pp. : 175-184
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Abstract
A bimodal distribution of pulse rates in field recordings of calling songs suggests that the ranges of the morphologically similar field crickets Gryllus rubens Scudder and G. nr. integer Scudder ( = “integer”) overlap for at least 300 km in western Florida. When sons were reared from 42 females collected at 5 sites on 7 trips to this region during 1977–1978, those within a sibship had similar modal pulse rates. At Milton, the westernmost site, 28 of 31 females produced sons with mean modal pulse rates typical of G. rubens; the other 3 were among 6 females collected 1 October 1977 and 30 September 1978 and had modal pulse rates in or near the “integer” range. None of the 11 females from other sites had sons with a mean modal pulse rate indicative of “integer.” Most progenies of females collected at Milton on 25 September 1982 were reared as 2 cohorts of contrasting initial density, and each son was recorded on 2 dates. The mean, temperature‐adjusted modal pulse rates of the 39 recorded cohorts, from 22 females, showed no effect of initial density but fell nearly evenly into 2 discrete groups: 46–60 pulses s−1 with a mean of 52 (G. rubens) and 64–78 pulses s−1 with a mean of 71 (“integer”). Lack of intermediate sibships indicates that G. rubens and “integer” remain distinct in their zone of overlap. A spring‐adult generation of “integer” in western Florida is postulated but not confirmed. Reared under the same conditions, G. rubens males from fall females had a significantly lower mean modal pulse rate than males from spring females (52 versus 55), indicating a parental effect. G. rubens males reared from fall females had a significantly higher mean modal pulse rate than captured spring‐adult males (52 versus 49), and males reared from spring females had a significantly lower modal pulse rate than captured fall‐adult males (55 versus 59). Because G. rubens is bivoltine, both of these comparisons indicate that developmental conditions affect calling‐song pulse rate. Fall males of “integer” had a significantly higher mean modal pulse rate than males reared from fall females (79 versus 70), indicating one or both effects. These are the 1st parental and developmental effects on pulse rates reported for crickets.
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