Genotype and social environment influence female-female interactions in a non-social insect

Factors shaping social interactions between females are understudied in non-social insects. We tested whether female-female investigation, aggression, and same-sex sexual behaviour (SSB) are influenced by genotypic and environmental factors in the Hawaiian field cricket, Teleogryllus oceanicus. Males ordinarily sing to attract females, but some are silenced by an X-linked mutation (flatwing) that protects males against an eavesdropping parasitoid fly and impacts female gene expression. To test how the rapid evolution of silence impacts female social behaviour, we matched or mismatched females by genotype. We observed them in paired trials exposed to male song or silence. The song treatment mimicked normal cricket populations versus those in which the flatwing has been fixed. Most female-female interactions involved social investigation characterised by un-escalated antennal contact. Aggression and SSB also occurred, but were less frequent. Female pairs interacted more in the presence of..., , , # Genotype and social environment influence female-female interactions in a non-social insect

Dataset DOI: [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.wpzgmsbzd](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.wpzgmsbzd)

## Description of the data and file structure

### Files and variables

### **File: Data\_occurrence\_frequency\_duration.csv**

**Description:** Data from 10-minute behavioural trials involving female-female pairs of *Teleogyllus oceanicus* (conducted at 25 ± 2°C, under red light, in a 27 × 38 cm arena). The occurrence, frequency, and duration of antennal contact, biting, flight attempts, mounting, and reception of mounting were measured (per individual).

##### Variables

* Dyad_ID: Unique ID for each dyad (individual pair), composed of 5 identifiers: Genotype Pair (A, B, or C), Presence of Song (Y or N), breeding line of one individual (1, 4, 5, 6, 8, or 9) breeding line of the other individual (1, 4, 5, 6, 8, or 9), replicate number (for that combination).
* Individual_ID: unique ID for each ex...,