page_title: Teleogryllus oceanicus
section_title: Calling song
hierarchical_section_title: Teleogryllus oceanicus / Female preferences / Calling song
caption_attribution_description: English: Teleogryllus oceanicus calling song
context_page_description: Teleogryllus oceanicus, commonly known as the Australian, Pacific or oceanic field cricket, is a cricket found across Oceania and in coastal Australia from Carnarvon in Western Australia and Rockhampton in north-east Queensland
  T. oceanicus populations in Hawaii arose through human-assisted introduction. It is currently unknown whether T. oceanicus was introduced to Hawaii in 1877 by area trade ships, or 1500 years ago with the original Polynesian settlers. Microsatellite comparisons support the idea that the Hawaiian T. oceanicus colonization originated in the Western islands and then spread East.
  T. oceanicus crickets are black to dark brown in coloration with longitudinal stripes on the back of the head. Males average between 28–35 mm in length, and the females are typically longer due to the ovipositor with an average of 33–42 mm. These crickets are typically found on soil ground hiding in fissures or holes in the terrain, and are typically only found in high numbers in landscapes that provide a good deal of cover.
  T. oceanicus may also be referred to as the black field cricket, a common name it shares with Teleogryllus commodus.
context_section_description: In Teleogryllus oceanicus, the calling song is complex, consisting of a chirp made up of 4 similar pulses, followed by a trill of pairs of pulses.  Properties of this calling song have been shown to vary with temperature.  Because the calling song is species specific, and acts as a prezygotic mating barrier in Teleogryllus crickets, it is thought that the calling song is important for females to recognize same-species males.  The male calling song also varies between populations.  These differences are observed in total song length, pulse duration, and time between pulses.  Females in all populations show a consistent preference for a higher proportion of the long chirp element.  Because the long chirp element is more energetically demanding, this preference may serve as an honest indicator to the female in regards to the male's fitness.
caption: Sonogram of the Teleogryllus oceanicus male calling song
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