A saga of agonistic interactions in house crickets (Acheta domesticus): A direct and indirect effects perspective

Abstract

Agonistic behaviours are widely observed across multiple taxa and are critical in shaping hierarchies, influencing resource acquisition, survival, and reproductive success. Individuals often alter their behaviour in response to the traits of others, referred to as indirect effects. Individuals also differ in their mean behavioural responses, referred to as direct effects. The combination of indirect and direct effects produce the observed social interactions. Importantly, these effects are typically measured on isolated parts of the full sequence of behaviors and traits expressed during social interactions. Here, we used house crickets, Acheta domesticus, to investigate how direct and indirect effects shape behaviors and traits across an agonistic interaction. We found that the probability of initiating aggression, but not contact, was influenced by both direct and indirect effects independent of mass. Amplitude, peak frequency, and pulse duration of stridulations occurring during agonistic interactions were influenced by direct effects but were not strongly influenced by indirect effects. These results demonstrate that the strength of indirect and direct effects vary over the course of an agonistic interaction and differentially affect the specific components of these interactions. Understanding when and how these effects are important is necessary for understanding agonistic behaviour and its evolution.