Social isolation increases male aggression toward females in the field cricket Gryllus bimaculatus

Abstract

Social isolation has often been reported to facilitate male aggressiveness in various animal species. If social isolation also escalates male aggressive behavior towards females, the mating success of the aggressive males will be low. This study evaluated the effect of social isolation on mating behavior in the field cricket Gryllus bimaculatus, which has traditionally been considered to be an asocial species. The results showed that social isolation from same-sex individuals enhanced male aggressiveness to females, and the mating success of aggressive males was reduced under the experimental conditions. More aggressive males exhibited a longer latency to court than less aggressive males. These results suggest that because male aggressiveness causes a delay in courtship, aggressive males may have reduced mating success. This demonstrated that social relationships are a critical factor affecting male mating success, even if the species is normally considered solitary.