Natural History Miscellany Cues for Eavesdroppers: Do Frog Calls Indicate Prey Density and Quality?

Predators and parasites that eavesdrop on the mating signals of their prey often preferentially select individuals within a prey/host species that produce specific cues. Mechanisms driving such signal preferences are poorly understood. In the túngara frog Physalaemus pustulosus, conspecific females, frog-eating bats, and blood-sucking flies all prefer complex to simple mating calls. In this study we assess the natural signal variation in choruses in the wild and test two hypotheses for why eavesdroppers prefer complex calls: (1) prey quality: complex calls indicate better quality of prey/host, and (2) prey density: complex calls indicate higher prey/host density. Call complexity is not correlated with frog length, mass, or body condition, but it does signal higher abundance of prey/host. Thus, increased effectiveness of attack may have played a role favoring the preference for complex calls in eavesdropping heterospecifics.