Data from: Genotype and social environment influence female-female interactions in a non-social insect
Data files
Jun 16, 2025 version files 51.11 KB
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Data_occurrence_frequency_duration.csv
20.46 KB
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R_code_analyses.R
16.24 KB
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R_code_figures.R
10.46 KB
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README.md
3.96 KB
Abstract
Factors shaping social interactions between females are understudied in non-social insects. We tested whether female-female investigation, aggression, and same-sex sexual behaviour (SSB) are influenced by genotypic and environmental factors in the Hawaiian field cricket, Teleogryllus oceanicus. Males ordinarily sing to attract females, but some are silenced by an X-linked mutation (flatwing) that protects males against an eavesdropping parasitoid fly and impacts female gene expression. To test how the rapid evolution of silence impacts female social behaviour, we matched or mismatched females by genotype. We observed them in paired trials exposed to male song or silence. The song treatment mimicked normal cricket populations versus those in which the flatwing has been fixed. Most female-female interactions involved social investigation characterised by un-escalated antennal contact. Aggression and SSB also occurred, but were less frequent. Female pairs interacted more in the presence of male song, and this plasticity was augmented when female genotypes matched. This implies that male song is a catalyst for female social interaction, and its evolved loss may reduce investment in female intrasexual interactions in a genotype-dependent manner. We advocate for wider investigation of the function and fitness consequences of female-female behaviour, a phenomenon likely to be neglected in many taxa.
Dataset DOI: https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.wpzgmsbzd
Description of the data and file structure
Files and variables
File: Data_occurrence_frequency_duration.csv
Description: Data from 10-minute behavioural trials involving female-female pairs of Teleogyllus oceanicus (conducted at 25 ± 2°C, under red light, in a 27 × 38 cm arena). The occurrence, frequency, and duration of antennal contact, biting, flight attempts, mounting, and reception of mounting were measured (per individual).
Variables
- Dyad_ID: Unique ID for each dyad (individual pair), composed of 5 identifiers: Genotype Pair (A, B, or C), Presence of Song (Y or N), breeding line of one individual (1, 4, 5, 6, 8, or 9) breeding line of the other individual (1, 4, 5, 6, 8, or 9), replicate number (for that combination).
- Individual_ID: unique ID for each experimental individual. The first digit represents the breeding line number (1, 4, 5, 6, 8, or 9).
- Genotype: Nw (normal-wing) or Fw (flat-wing).
- Trial_Mass(g): Mass (in grams) measured on the day of the trial.
- Breeding_Line: Breeding line of each individual used in the trial. Lines 1, 5, and 8 are normal-wing, lines 4, 6, and 9 are flat-wing (information about line creation and maintenance in section [2.1, Cricket origins and maintenance)].
- Genotype_Pair: A - when both individuals are normal-wing (Nw), B - when one individual is normal-wing and the other is flat-wing (Fw), C - when both individuals are flat-wing.
- Presence_of_Song: Presence of male T. oceanicus calling song, Y (Yes) or N (No). More information about the audio samples used is provided in section [2.3 Experimental trials].
- Antennal_Contact_Occurrence: Y (Yes - antennal contact occurred at least once) or N (No - antennal contact did not occur).
- Antennal_Contact_Frequency: Number of times an individual engaged in antennal contact.
- Antennal_Contact_Duration(s): Duration (in seconds) of each bout of antennal contact.
- Biting_Occurrence: Y (Yes - biting occurred at least once) or N (No - biting did not occur).
- Biting_Frequency: Number of times an individual bit.
- Biting_Duration(s): Duration (in seconds) of each biting bout.
- Flight_Occurrence: Y (Yes -flight attempt occurred at least once) or N (No - flight attempt did not occur).
- Flight_Frequency: Number of times an individual attempted a flight.
- Flight_Duration(s): Duration (in seconds) of each flight attempt.
- Mounting_Occurrence: Y (Yes -mounting occurred at least once) or N (No - mounting did not occur).
- Mounting Frequency: Number of times an individual mounted another.
- Mounting_Duration(s): Duration (in seconds) of each mount.
- Reception_of_Mounting_Occurrence: Y (Yes - reception of mounting occurred at least once) or N (No - reception of mounting did not occur).
- Reception_of_Mounting_Frequency: Number of times an individual received mounting from another.
- Reception_of_Mounting_Duration(s): Duration (in seconds) of each mounting reception.
File: R_code_analyses
Contains the R code for all analyses reported in the paper.
File: R_code_figures
Contains the R code used to generate all figures in the paper.
File: Supplementary material (uploaded to Zenodo)
Table S1 - Model expressions of all statistical analyses performed.
Table S2 - Results of ICC analysis for 2 raters, n=20, R threshold of roughly 0.7.
Table S3 - Results of iteratively run models (n = 1000) for all occurrence analyses.
Table S4 - Results of iteratively run models (n = 1000) for antennal contact frequency.
Table S5 - Results of iteratively run models (n = 1000) for antennal contact duration.
Table S6 - Results of iteratively run models (n = 1000) for biting and flight attempt frequency analyses.