Mating stimulates female feeding: testing the implications for the evolution of nuptial gifts.
Nutritional benefits from nuptial gifts have been difficult to detect in some species, raising the question: what maintains nuptial feeding when gifts do not benefit females? The sensory trap hypothesis proposes that nuptial feeding may be explained by pre-existing sensory responses that predispose...
| Autore principale: | |
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| Natura: | Journal article |
| Lingua: | English |
| Pubblicazione: |
2011
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| _version_ | 1826275359479300096 |
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| author | Perry, J |
| author_facet | Perry, J |
| author_sort | Perry, J |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | Nutritional benefits from nuptial gifts have been difficult to detect in some species, raising the question: what maintains nuptial feeding when gifts do not benefit females? The sensory trap hypothesis proposes that nuptial feeding may be explained by pre-existing sensory responses that predispose females to ingest gifts. Recent studies have shown that male seminal proteins can induce a nonspecific increase in female feeding after mating, which may represent a sensory trap for nuptial feeding if it results in increased intake of post-mating gifts. I tested these ideas using female beetles that ingest a spermatophore after mating. I show that males stimulate strongly increased female feeding post-mating. However, there was little evidence for dose dependence in the feeding response that could allow males to stimulate feeding beyond the female optimum. Moreover, the post-mating feeding response could not explain nuptial feeding: despite feeding more in general, newly mated females were less likely than nonmated females to ingest spermatophore gifts. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-06T22:57:31Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:60f0fb1d-0454-4a38-a3a8-89400c0fbfd8 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-06T22:57:31Z |
| publishDate | 2011 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:60f0fb1d-0454-4a38-a3a8-89400c0fbfd82022-03-26T17:56:25ZMating stimulates female feeding: testing the implications for the evolution of nuptial gifts.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:60f0fb1d-0454-4a38-a3a8-89400c0fbfd8EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2011Perry, JNutritional benefits from nuptial gifts have been difficult to detect in some species, raising the question: what maintains nuptial feeding when gifts do not benefit females? The sensory trap hypothesis proposes that nuptial feeding may be explained by pre-existing sensory responses that predispose females to ingest gifts. Recent studies have shown that male seminal proteins can induce a nonspecific increase in female feeding after mating, which may represent a sensory trap for nuptial feeding if it results in increased intake of post-mating gifts. I tested these ideas using female beetles that ingest a spermatophore after mating. I show that males stimulate strongly increased female feeding post-mating. However, there was little evidence for dose dependence in the feeding response that could allow males to stimulate feeding beyond the female optimum. Moreover, the post-mating feeding response could not explain nuptial feeding: despite feeding more in general, newly mated females were less likely than nonmated females to ingest spermatophore gifts. |
| spellingShingle | Perry, J Mating stimulates female feeding: testing the implications for the evolution of nuptial gifts. |
| title | Mating stimulates female feeding: testing the implications for the evolution of nuptial gifts. |
| title_full | Mating stimulates female feeding: testing the implications for the evolution of nuptial gifts. |
| title_fullStr | Mating stimulates female feeding: testing the implications for the evolution of nuptial gifts. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mating stimulates female feeding: testing the implications for the evolution of nuptial gifts. |
| title_short | Mating stimulates female feeding: testing the implications for the evolution of nuptial gifts. |
| title_sort | mating stimulates female feeding testing the implications for the evolution of nuptial gifts |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT perryj matingstimulatesfemalefeedingtestingtheimplicationsfortheevolutionofnuptialgifts |