Older male crickets attract more females—but have less sex

MAY 24, 2019

by University of Exeter

Older male crickets are better at getting females to live with them—but they mate less than younger rivals once they find a partner.

Meanwhile younger males have a harder time enticing females back to their burrows—but more mating happens if they succeed.

University of Exeter scientists studied field crickets to see if a male's age affected how attractive females found them.

"Females choose mates to get the best genes for their offspring," said Dr. Rolando Rodríguez-Muñoz of the Centre for Ecology and Conservation on the University of Exeter's Penryn Campus in Cornwall.

"It's possible that the oldest males have the best genes because they've shown they can live for a long time.¬

"On the other hand, females might favour younger males whose sperm have not accumulated possibly harmful mutations that will be passed on to offspring.

Continued