The evolution of empty nuptial gifts in a dance fly, Empis snoddyi (Diptera: Empididae): bigger isn't always better

1999 ◽  
Vol 45 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 161-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer A. Sadowski ◽  
Allen J. Moore ◽  
Edmund D. Brodie III
Keyword(s):  
Nuptial Gifts ◽  
Dance Fly

SEXUAL SELECTION AND THE EVOLUTION OF DANCE FLY MATING SYSTEMS (DIPTERA: EMPIDIDAE; EMPIDINAE)

1994 ◽  
Vol 126 (3) ◽  
pp. 907-920 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.M. Cumming
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Mating Systems ◽  
Courtship Behavior ◽  
Sex Role ◽  
Male Fitness ◽  
Male Choice ◽  
Nuptial Gifts ◽  
Sexual Selection Theory ◽  
Courtship Displays ◽  
Dance Fly

AbstractCourtship displays of empidine dance flies (Diptera: Empididae), which include transfers of nuptial gifts during mating, are reviewed in light of sexual selection theory. Sex-role reversed courtship behavior, involving female swarming and male choice, appears to be correlated with certain female secondary sexual characters that are widespread throughout the Empidinae. The tendency to shift mate choice from females to males, and the apparent development of autogeny in many empidine species, are both hypothesized to have resulted from males monopolizing the proteinaceous food source of non-hunting females, through transfers of nuptial gifts of prey. The autogenous condition appears to have led to the ritualized presentation of various types of inedible nuptial gifts by males of several species, possibly including the development of secreted nuptial gifts, or balloons, as displays of male fitness.

scholarly journals Competition for access to mates predicts female-specific ornamentation and polyandry

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosalind L. Murray ◽  
Elizabeth J. Herridge ◽  
Rob W. Ness ◽  
R. Axel W. Wiberg ◽  
Luc F. Bussière
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Selection Intensity ◽  
Nuptial Gifts ◽  
Female Receptivity ◽  
Female Ornamentation ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Ornament Evolution ◽  
Female Specific ◽  
Operational Sex Ratios ◽  
Dance Fly

AbstractSexually selected ornaments are highly variable and the factors that drive variation in ornament expression are not always clear. Rare instances of female-specific ornament evolution (such as in some dance fly species) are particularly puzzling. While some evidence suggests that such rare instances represent straightforward reversals of sexual selection intensity, the distinct nature of trade-offs between ornaments and offspring pose special constraints in females. To examine whether competition for access to mates generally favours heightened ornament expression, we built a phylogeny and conducted a comparative analysis of Empidinae dance fly taxa that display ornate female-specific ornaments. We show that species with more female-biased operational sex ratios in lek-like mating swarms have greater female ornamentation, and in taxa with more ornate females, polyandry is increased. These findings support the hypothesis that ornament diversity in dance flies depends on female receptivity, which is associated with contests for nutritious nuptial gifts provided by males. Moreover, our results suggest that increases in female receptivity lead to higher levels of polyandry and sperm competition among males. The incidence of both heightened pre-mating sexual selection on females and post-mating selection on males contradicts assertions that sex-roles are straightforwardly reversed in dance flies.

Ineffective nuptial gifts suggest female emancipation from sensory exploitation

2021 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauro Martínez Villar ◽  
Mariana C. Trillo ◽  
Maria J. Albo
Keyword(s):  
Nuptial Gifts ◽  
Sensory Exploitation

scholarly journals Thermal Preferences of Cowpea Seed Beetles (Callosobruchus maculatus): Effects of Sex and Nuptial Gift Transfers

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 310
Author(s):  
Dariusz Krzysztof Małek ◽  
Marcin Czarnoleski
Keyword(s):  
Water Balance ◽  
Callosobruchus Maculatus ◽  
Thermal Environment ◽  
Nuptial Gift ◽  
Thermal Preference ◽  
Nuptial Gifts ◽  
Insect Performance ◽  
Evaporative Water ◽  
Thermal Preferences ◽  
Seed Beetles

The thermal environment influences insect performance, but the factors affecting insect thermal preferences are rarely studied. We studied Callosobruchus maculatus seed beetles and hypothesized that thermal preferences are influenced by water balance, with individuals with limited water reserves preferring cooler habitats to reduce evaporative water loss. Adult C. maculatus, in their flightless morph, do not consume food or water, but a copulating male provides a female with a nuptial gift of ejaculate containing nutrients and water. We hypothesized that gift recipients would prefer warmer habitats than gift donors and that both sexes would plastically adjust their thermal preferences according to the size of the transferred gift. We measured the thermal preference in each sex in individuals that were mated once or were unmated. In the mated group, we measured the sizes of the nuptial gifts and calculated proportional body mass changes in each mate during copulation. Supporting the role of water balance in thermal preference, females preferred warmer habitats than males. Nevertheless, thermal preferences in either sex were not affected by mating status or gift size. It is likely that high rates of mating and gift transfers in C. maculatus living under natural conditions promoted the evolution of constitutive sex-dependent thermal preferences.

A Cretaceous dance fly (Diptera: Empididae) from Botswana

1989 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 233-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
SASKIA B. WATERS
Keyword(s):  
Dance Fly

scholarly journals The shield effect: nuptial gifts protect males against pre-copulatory sexual cannibalism

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 20151082 ◽  
Author(s):  
Søren Toft ◽  
Maria J. Albo
Keyword(s):  
Indirect Evidence ◽  
Experimental Tests ◽  
Female Aggression ◽  
Sexual Cannibalism ◽  
Nuptial Gift ◽  
Nuptial Gifts ◽  
Spider Species ◽  
Pisaura Mirabilis

Several not mutually exclusive functions have been ascribed to nuptial gifts across different taxa. Although the idea that a nuptial prey gift may protect the male from pre-copulatory sexual cannibalism is attractive, it has previously been considered of no importance based on indirect evidence and rejected by experimental tests. We reinvestigated whether nuptial gifts may function as a shield against female attacks during mating encounters in the spider Pisaura mirabilis and whether female hunger influences the likelihood of cannibalistic attacks. The results showed that pre-copulatory sexual cannibalism was enhanced when males courted without a gift and this was independent of female hunger. We propose that the nuptial gift trait has evolved partly as a counteradaptation to female aggression in this spider species.

scholarly journals Male wing color properties predict the size of nuptial gifts given during mating in the Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly (Battus philenor)

2013 ◽  
Vol 100 (6) ◽  
pp. 507-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Parth K. Rajyaguru ◽  
Kimberly V. Pegram ◽  
Alexandra C. N. Kingston ◽  
Ronald L. Rutowski
Keyword(s):  
Nuptial Gifts ◽  
Battus Philenor ◽  
Color Properties ◽  
Swallowtail Butterfly ◽  
Pipevine Swallowtail ◽  
Male Wing

Effects of male ejaculate on female reproductive output and longevity in Photinus fireflies

2012 ◽  
Vol 90 (5) ◽  
pp. 677-681 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. South ◽  
S.M. Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Synergistic Effects ◽  
Female Offspring ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Female Fitness ◽  
Nuptial Gifts ◽  
Mating History ◽  
Offspring Production ◽  
Spermatophore Size ◽  
Reproductive Rates ◽  
Insight Into

In many insects, nuptial gifts in the form of spermatophores have been shown to increase female fecundity and to contribute to female somatic maintenance. Examining how variation in male spermatophore size affects female fitness components can provide insight into the evolution of nuptial gifts, as well as insight into potential conflicts between the sexes. Here we present an experimental study on the firefly Photinus obscurellus LeConte, 1851 in which we altered spermatophore size by manipulating male mating history and examined effects on female offspring production and longevity. Females were randomly allocated to one of two mating treatments in which they mated once with a male producing either a large or a small spermatophore. We found that male spermatophore size had no significant effect on lifetime fecundity or daily reproductive rates of female P. obscurellus, but females that received a larger spermatophore showed a tendency toward longer postmating life spans. These results suggest a direct benefit to females from nuptial gifts and also reveal the potential for synergistic effects on multiple facets of female fitness.

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