Condition‐dependent male copulatory courtship and its benefits for females
Abstract Postcopulatory sexual selection has shaped the ornaments used during copulatory courtship. However, we know relatively little about whether these courtship ornaments are costly to produce or whether they provide indirect benefits to females. We used the mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor, to...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2021-07-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7815 |
| _version_ | 1818640507717287936 |
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| author | Franco Cargnelutti Alicia Reyes Ramírez Shara Cristancho Iván A. Sandoval‐García Maya Rocha‐Ortega Lucía Calbacho‐Rosa Freddy Palacino Alex Córdoba‐Aguilar |
| author_facet | Franco Cargnelutti Alicia Reyes Ramírez Shara Cristancho Iván A. Sandoval‐García Maya Rocha‐Ortega Lucía Calbacho‐Rosa Freddy Palacino Alex Córdoba‐Aguilar |
| author_sort | Franco Cargnelutti |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Postcopulatory sexual selection has shaped the ornaments used during copulatory courtship. However, we know relatively little about whether these courtship ornaments are costly to produce or whether they provide indirect benefits to females. We used the mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor, to explore this. We challenged males using an entomopathogenic fungus and compared their courtship (frequency of leg and antennal contacts to the female), copulation duration, number of eggs laid, and hatching rate against control males. Infected males copulated for longer yet they reduced their leg and antennal contacts compared to control males. However, there was no obvious relation between infection, copulation duration, and courtship with egg production and hatching success. In general, our results indicate that the ornaments used during postcopulatory courtship are condition‐dependent. Moreover, such condition dependence cannot be linked to male fitness. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T23:12:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4a24dced58ca46a1afa1a762030ace5b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T23:12:22Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-4a24dced58ca46a1afa1a762030ace5b2022-12-21T22:12:23ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582021-07-0111149848985510.1002/ece3.7815Condition‐dependent male copulatory courtship and its benefits for femalesFranco Cargnelutti0Alicia Reyes Ramírez1Shara Cristancho2Iván A. Sandoval‐García3Maya Rocha‐Ortega4Lucía Calbacho‐Rosa5Freddy Palacino6Alex Córdoba‐Aguilar7Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de Córdoba Córdoba ArgentinaDepartamento de Ecología Evolutiva Instituto de Ecología Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Coyoacán MéxicoGrupo de Investigación en Odonatos de Colombia (GINOCO) Grupo de Investigación en Biología (GRIB) Centro de Investigación en Acarología Departamento de Biología Universidad El Bosque Bogotá ColombiaDepartamento de Ecología Evolutiva Instituto de Ecología Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Coyoacán MéxicoDepartamento de Ecología Evolutiva Instituto de Ecología Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Coyoacán MéxicoDepartamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de Córdoba Córdoba ArgentinaGrupo de Investigación en Odonatos de Colombia (GINOCO) Grupo de Investigación en Biología (GRIB) Centro de Investigación en Acarología Departamento de Biología Universidad El Bosque Bogotá ColombiaDepartamento de Ecología Evolutiva Instituto de Ecología Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Coyoacán MéxicoAbstract Postcopulatory sexual selection has shaped the ornaments used during copulatory courtship. However, we know relatively little about whether these courtship ornaments are costly to produce or whether they provide indirect benefits to females. We used the mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor, to explore this. We challenged males using an entomopathogenic fungus and compared their courtship (frequency of leg and antennal contacts to the female), copulation duration, number of eggs laid, and hatching rate against control males. Infected males copulated for longer yet they reduced their leg and antennal contacts compared to control males. However, there was no obvious relation between infection, copulation duration, and courtship with egg production and hatching success. In general, our results indicate that the ornaments used during postcopulatory courtship are condition‐dependent. Moreover, such condition dependence cannot be linked to male fitness.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7815copulation courtshipcostsindirect benefitsTenebrio molitor |
| spellingShingle | Franco Cargnelutti Alicia Reyes Ramírez Shara Cristancho Iván A. Sandoval‐García Maya Rocha‐Ortega Lucía Calbacho‐Rosa Freddy Palacino Alex Córdoba‐Aguilar Condition‐dependent male copulatory courtship and its benefits for females Ecology and Evolution copulation courtship costs indirect benefits Tenebrio molitor |
| title | Condition‐dependent male copulatory courtship and its benefits for females |
| title_full | Condition‐dependent male copulatory courtship and its benefits for females |
| title_fullStr | Condition‐dependent male copulatory courtship and its benefits for females |
| title_full_unstemmed | Condition‐dependent male copulatory courtship and its benefits for females |
| title_short | Condition‐dependent male copulatory courtship and its benefits for females |
| title_sort | condition dependent male copulatory courtship and its benefits for females |
| topic | copulation courtship costs indirect benefits Tenebrio molitor |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7815 |
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