Female chorus frogs delay mate choice under suboptimal environmental conditions

Many traits important for reproductive isolation are environmentally responsive. However, most studies examining reproductive isolation do not explicitly take into consideration environmental variation. Temperature can have a particularly large effect on reproductive behaviors, especially in ectotherms. Here, we tested whether temperature affects the degree of reproductive isolation between the Upland chorus frog (Pseudacris feriarum) and its congener P. nigrita. These two species engage in costly hybridization in nature, leading to reinforcement of male signals and female preferences in sympatry. However, male advertisement calls vary with temperature such that the difference between the advertisement calls of the two species is narrower at cold than at warm temperatures. To examine the effect of temperature on reproductive isolation in this system, we performed six binary choice preference trials using sympatric female P. feriarum. In these experiments, we acclimated females to either..., , , # Data from: Female chorus frogs delay mate choice under suboptimal environmental conditions

Supporting material for publication in Animal Behaviour ([https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.11.012)](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.11.012 \"Persistent link using digital object identifier\").

We tested whether temperature affects the degree of reproductive isolation between the upland chorus frog, *Pseudacris feriarum*, and its congener *Pseudacris nigrita*. These two species engage in costly hybridization in nature, leading to reinforcement of male signals and female preferences in sympatry. Male advertisement calls vary with temperature leading the two species to have more similar calls at colder temperatures compared to warmer temperatures.

We conducted six binary choice preference trials using sympatric female *P. feriarum*. In these experiments, we acclimated females to either warm (20 °C) or cool (10 °C) temperatures and gave them a choice between heterospecific and conspeci...