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Abstract:
Male Gryllidae acoustic signaling behaviour varies between and within species and may be influenced by a variety of factors including age, condition, and parasitism. I investigated variation within and among male Gryllodes sigillatus' mate attraction signaling behaviour and examined how variation in signaling vigour was influenced by age. I found extensive variation in male signaling between and within individuals; males differed in signaling vigour and quality, and their signaling changed over time. I found that smaller males signaled more consistently throughout their lives while larger males rarely called when younger and increased signaling vigour with age. As males have often been found to honestly signal their body condition (i.e., body mass), parasites may influence a male's perceived attractiveness to potential mates. I therefore also investigated how signaling vigour was influenced by the ingestion of the long barbed hastisetae from a typical pest species, dermestid (Dermestes ater), that plagues rearing facilities.