Female choice contributes to offspring fitness in the field cricket,Gryllus bimaculatus (De Geer)

Summary Females of the field cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus, are known to mate non-randomly with respect to male size. The reproductive output of females allowed to choose their mates was compared with that of females allocated mates. Females allowed to choose their mates laid a greater proportion of their available eggs, thereby investing more heavily in reproduction. Female choice did not appear to influence hatching success, suggesting that no short term benefits are derived from non-random mating. However, the offspring of females allowed to choose their mates developed more rapidly and began their own reproductive output before those of females who had been allocated mates. Furthermore, the faster developing offspring of females who chose their mates tended to have a consistantly higher survival rate as well as a lower variance in survival (i.e. less risk of mortality) at adult eclosion. Female choice may therefore contribute to offspring fitness and thus to long term reproductive success. Females allocated large males as mates did not equal those of females allowed to choose their mates, in terms of reproductive output and offspring fitness. This suggests that females may choose their mates with regard to a mixture of characters of which male size is only one.