The effect of female wings on male courtship behavior in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus

Sexual dimorphism exists in the shape and the structure of the forewings of the cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus). However, the functional significance of the wings in the G. bimaculatus female has been unclear. In common blue butterflies (Polyommatus icarus), wings in females have been suggested as being important for attracting males. To test whether female crickets need wings for conspecific males to recognize them and initiate mating behavior, we removed all wings from females and observed the behavior of males towards them. Most males (87.5%) showed mating behavior towards the wingless females: they produced courtship song and transferred spermatophores to the wingless females. Similarly, 88.5% of the males showed mating behavior towards intact females. When males were placed with both a wingless female and an intact female, no significant difference was detected in male mate choice. The findings demonstrate that the wing of the G. bimaculatus female is not necessary for female recognition by conspecific males and the initiation of male mating behavior, and that it is not important in male mate choice.