Many animals can increase their communication efficiency by enhancing the complexity in a single sensory modality or by evolving displays that target multiple sensory modalities ( Cui et al., 2016 Partan and Marler, 1999). Our results thus help to understand the relationship between natural and sexual selection pressure operating on signalers and how in turn this may influence multimodal signal evolution. Females may play an important role in incorporating these multiple components because they prefer signals which combine multiple modalities. Our data suggest that midge-induced movements may be incorporated into a sexual display, targeting both hearing and vision in the intended receiver. Through mate choice tests we show that some of these midge-evoked movements influence female preference for acoustic signals. Calling males of this species often display limb movements in order to defend against blood-sucking parasites such as frog-biting midges that eavesdrop on their acoustic signal. Here, we assess whether the physical movements of parasite defense behavior increase the complexity and attractiveness of an acoustic sexual signal in the little torrent frog ( Amolops torrentis). Despite being taxonomically widespread, we often lack insight into how multimodal signals evolve from unimodal signals and in particular what roles unintended eavesdroppers play.
These multimodal displays can however also attract unintended receivers, which can be an important driver of signal complexity. Many animals rely on complex signals that target multiple senses to attract mates and repel rivals.