Sexual selection across sensory modalities: female choice of male behavioral and gustatory displays

The role of cuticular hydrocarbons in sexual displays has received considerable interest over the last two decades. For example, multiple studies have documented significant directional and nonlinear sexual selection acting on the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of both male and female insects. The majority of these studies have excluded other sensory modalities that may influence attractiveness, and measured selection using laboratory raised individuals. Furthermore, much of this work has been conducted using drosophilid fruit flies and crickets, and investigations using different taxa are necessary to improve our understanding of broader taxonomic trends. Here we extend our understanding of sexual selection on cuticular hydrocarbons by measuring selection imposed by female mate choice on male bull-horned dung beetles, Onthophagus taurus. Both male and female beetles used in our study were collected from the field, ensuring that our estimates of selection incorporated some degree of nat...