Social ontogeny in the communication system of an insect

Juvenile social experience and practice have a switch‐like influence on adult mate preferences in an insect

“…However, we have detected no ontogenetic effects on female signals (Desjonquères et al. 2019a, 2019b). We therefore focused on female mate preferences in this study.…”

“…In prior work, we found that treehoppers reared in treatments of isolation (1 nymph/host plant) versus groups developed different mate preferences and advertisement signal features, although even individuals in isolation developed species‐typical signals and preferences (Desjonquères et al. 2019a). Thus, social experience is not necessary for the adequate development of signals and preferences in these insects.…”

“…The ontogenetic effects of the highest potential evolutionary relevance that we have detected have been on female mate preferences, mainly changes in the preferred signal frequency, or “peak preference” (Desjonquères et al. 2019a). The female preference for male signal frequency is the strongest mate preference in the E. binotata species complex, and together with signal frequency the most divergent adult phenotype in the complex; by contrast the effects we have detected on male signals pertain to signal traits (intersignal interval and pulse length) that are much less divergent across species in the complex and for which females have weak or no preferences (Rodríguez et al.…”

“…2010; Desjonquères et al. 2019a, 2019b). Thus, the social‐ontogenetic effects we have detected tend to change the signal‐preference relationship and alter the form of selection on signals stemming from mate choice.…”

“…To test these hypotheses, we took advantage of the recordings of nymph signaling that resulted from the above experiment (Desjonquères et al. 2019a, 2019b). We first confirmed that individual nymphs in that experiment varied both in social experience and behavior — a pre‐requisite for testing the above hypotheses.…”