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Road noise makes female crickets less picky with their partners
Previous studies have suggested noise pollution affects animal movements, feeding and breeding behaviours
A female cricket approaching a male
Credit: Dr Adam Bent /PA
Traffic noise makes distracted female crickets less picky with their partners, a study has found, as scientists warn the trend could lead to a decline in the species.
Researchers at Anglia Ruskin University found that female crickets were less discerning between partners making high-quality and low-quality courtship songs if there was traffic noise going on at the same time, according to a study in the journal Behavioral Ecology.
New research has found that the mating behaviour of crickets is significantly affected by traffic noise and other man-made sounds. When man-made noise pollution was present, the females didn t take into account the courtship song of the male crickets during mating. As the courtship song is energetically costly and provides crucial information about the health of the male, this could affect long-term population viability as females could choose less suitable mates.