SomeMale crickets protect the lives of their mating partners, risking their own. Specifically, when a danger looms, the males let the “ladies” enter the burrow first, even though this implies an increased risk of being eaten. These conclusions have been reached by a group of scientists from the United Kingdom thanks to infrared video footage of a wild population of field crickets (Gryllus campestris).
“We tend to think that ‘chivalrous’ behavior is exclusive to human beings or closely related mammals, and that it is linked in some way to education, intelligence, or affection,” explains Rolando Rodríguez Muñoz, from the University of Exeter (UK). “However, we have shown thateven small insect males can be gallant, offering protection to their partners “.
By marking insects and signaling their individual genotype in the wild, the scientists in the new study found that solitary male and female crickets suffer similar rates of predation, but that when attacked in pairs the female’s chances of Survival increases and those of the male decrease. Nevertheless,In compensation for their “chivalrous” behavior, mated males mate more frequently and have more offspring. The results, published in the journalCurrent Biology, are contrary to the common interpretation that males guard females after copulation to prevent them from mating with their rivals. “The protection of the couple evolved in acooperation context“conclude the researchers.
