A researcher is studying the mating calls of a widespread species of cricket. He

Question

A researcher is studying the mating calls of a widespread species of cricket. He discovers that male crickets collected from different locations give different calls. Furthermore, females collected from different locations exhibit different responses to the calls, preferring the calls of males from the location they were collected from. The crickets are otherwise identical. In lab experiments, he demonstrates that females will not mate with males that have a call not typical of the location they were collected from, but if tricked, by playing calls of the appropriate male while another type of male is present, they will in fact mate, and these matings produce fertile offspring.

a)    Are these crickets a single species, or a species complex? Is there an isolation mechanism? Explain?

b)   Go online and research. Give at least two examples of species complexes composed of morphologically similar microspecies or cryptic species.

Explanation / Answer

a.

Species complex is a group of closely related species that are very similar in their appearance. The different terms used to describe this condition are cryptic species where two or more species hidden under one species. Sibling species include the two cryptic species that are closely related. Species flock is a condition in which closely related species live in same habitat.

Thus, the crickets can be considered as a species complex. The behavior variations can be used as an isolation mechanism in the given condition.

b.

The list of examples of cryptic species is as follows:

Oak Titmouse and Juniper Titmouse

Monarch (Danaus plexippus) and Viceroy (Limenitis archippus)

Northern leopard frog and Southern leopard frog.

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