Local preference encoded by complex signaling: mechanisms of mate preference in the red-eyed treefrog (Agalychnis callidryas)

The Central American red-eyed treefrog (Agalychnis callidryas) is a nocturnal/crepuscular frog that exhibits high population-level phenotypic variation in a suite of traits generally important in anuran communication. Females of this species demonstrate a preference for local over non-local males, although the contribution of different communication modes to mate choice remains untested. We performed eight sets of experiments at La Selva Biological Station (Costa Rica) to test the relative roles of male advertisement call and flank-stripe pattern on female mate choice. For each trial, we used pre-recorded calls for acoustic signals and/or 3D-printed, hand-painted models for visual stimulus. Females selected conspecifics over heterospecifics when presented with either acoustic or visual stimuli only, indicating that both evolve as species-specific signals used for mate discrimination. Bayesian modeling showed that females chose local males over non-locals based on unimodal; responses to multimodal signals varied. Female mate choice in this species is likely nuanced and subject to the constraints of the local environment in which animals are signaling. Our data show that at least two traits that vary among populations are important for mate selection.