Traffic noise exposure impacts song production in wild male field crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus) under predator and intrasexual competition contexts

Animals are known to adjust their acoustic signals in the presence of anthropogenic noise. These changes may affect fitness by altering susceptibility to predators or changing signal efficiency in intra and intersexual interactions. Male field crickets, Gryllus bimaculatus, chirp to attract females, with chirp rate being an important success factor. Males reduce chirp rate when exposed to predators or traffic noise and increase it in response to male competitors. However, the combined effects of these pressures on signalling are unknown. This study examined whether antipredator responses are influenced by male-male competition and variation in traffic noise exposure. We used substrate-borne vibrations to simulate a predator approaching calling males and varied perceived male-male competition using playbacks. We found that responses to increased competition were affected by variation in traffic noise exposure, with males chirping faster as noise levels increased. Additionally, antipredat..., , , # Context-dependent effects of traffic noise experience on song production in wild male field cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.sn02v6xd3](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.sn02v6xd3)

#### Dataset structure

Two sheets can be found in the Excel file, named \"Antipredator_responses\" and \"Latency_resume_calling\". Both sheets are needed to examine the effect of environmental traffic noise, the presence of a neighbor calling within five meters, and whether the simulated predator was accompanied by a playedback competitor on the calling song of field cricket males.  Two .csv files (one for each Excel file tab) are also available under the respective names. 

In \"Antipredator responses\", both pre- and post-threat song features can be found, i.e., ICI_baseline and Number_pulses_baseline, and ICI_response and Number_pulses_response, respectively. 

Analyses on the latency to resume calling after threatening crickets are found in the Excel tab \"Latency_resume_calling\", whe...,