Abstract:

Sexual conflict occurs when the costs and benefits of mating differ between males and females. Numerous studies have confirmed that compounds in the seminal fluids of males can impact females. These impacts include manipulation of egg laying, reductions in innate immune responses, and altering behavior. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is a compound found in the spermatophore of house crickets and initiates oviposition behavior in female crickets. Here, I speculate that PGE2 may affect mate-search behavior in house crickets in a dose-dependent manner. Past studies have indicated PGE2 also simulate multiple mating by giving female house crickets multiple injections of PGE2. This experiment investigated the phonotactic (latency to reach an acoustic stimulus) response of females when injected with PGE2. The female crickets were raised until adult eclosion and the phonotactic cues were measured 24 h after injection with a 1 µg, 10 µg, 100 µg dose of PGE2 dissolved in 1 µL EtOH and 9 µL of phosphate buffer saline (PBS). Controls were injected with 1 µL EtOH and 9 µL pf PBS only. Crickets were randomly assigned (n=10) to each group prior. Acoustic stimuli were applied afterwards. The latency to respond to male signals was not impacted by PGE2; thus, PGE2 does not impact other aspects of female behavior or life-history that can be manipulated by other components of male seminal fluids.

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