Effects of operational sex ratio, mating age, and male mating history on mating and reproductive behavior in Grapholita molesta

Author(s):  
Weina Kong ◽  
Yi Wang ◽  
Yongfu Guo ◽  
Xiaohan Chai ◽  
Jie Li ◽  
...  

Abstract The short-lived polygamous moth Grapholita molesta (Busck) is an important fruit pest worldwide. Trapping males by synthetic female sex pheromones is not an effective reproductive control strategy. It is important to improve this technology by understanding the mating system of G. molesta. This study investigated mating opportunities and fertile egg production by altering the operational sex ratio, mating age, and male mating history in repeated single mating and multiple mating in the two sexes. Our results showed that the mating and reproductive parameters of virgin males were affected by the number and age of virgin females. Males preferred a female number ≤three-fifths of the male number or ≤2-day-old females, while they discriminated against a female number ≥three times of the male number or ≥5-day-old females. On the other hand, the mating and reproductive parameters of virgin females were affected by repeated single mating and especially multiple mating under different male mating histories. Females preferred once-mated males and discriminated against virgin males. These results indicated that mating systems including more and older virgin females for virgin males and different virgin males for virgin females may be suitable for suppressing G. molesta populations. Hence, these results revealed that preventing mating of virgin adults by synthetic female sex pheromones should be most effective in controlling G. molesta.

2017 ◽  
Vol 108 (5) ◽  
pp. 616-624 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda C. Túler ◽  
C.S.A. Silva-Torres ◽  
J.B. Torres ◽  
R.B. Moraes ◽  
A.R.S. Rodrigues

AbstractThe long-lived polygynandrous ladybird beetleTenuisvalvae notata(Mulsant) found in Brazil was evaluated in the laboratory for the effects of multiple mating and aging on its reproductive performance. This species is native to South America and is an important predator of mealybugs. Specifically studied were partner choice, female reproductive success, adult longevity, male virility, and offspring development. Young (5–10 days old) and older virgin females (95–100 days old) were subjected to either a single mate or multiple mating with the same or different males of various mating status (virgin or previously mated once, twice, and thrice). Results revealed a preference in both genders to mate with previously known partners. Additionally, younger females had higher fecundity and greater longevity when mated only once in comparison to those mated multiple times. Fecundity, fertility, and offspring development were similar across the treatments regardless of the number of mating or male mating history. Fecundity and fertility decreased throughout the oviposition period regardless of mating treatment.


2017 ◽  
Vol 140 ◽  
pp. 96-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert B. Weladji ◽  
Guillaume Body ◽  
Øystein Holand ◽  
Xiuxiang Meng ◽  
Mauri Nieminen

Behaviour ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 147 (11) ◽  
pp. 1431-1442 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Cureton II ◽  
Raelynn Deaton ◽  
Rachel Martin

AbstractShort term fluctuations in operational sex ratio (OSR) and density can strongly influence male mating, often exacerbating conflict between males and females. Livebearing fishes of the genus Gambusia are ideal for investigating sexual conflict because males of all sizes mate coercively. In this study, we tested how short-term fluctuations in OSR and density influence coercive male mating behaviours. Specifically, we tested the prediction that as OSR becomes more female biased, males will mate with all available females. In contrast, as OSR becomes more male biased, male aggression will inhibit mating frequency. As predicted, males mated with more females as the number of available females increased. Moreover, males were less aggressive as the proportion of females increased and more aggressive as the number of males increased. This resulted in an inverse relationship between mating and aggression with OSR and density. Coercive males attempt to maximize their reproductive success by mating with all available females, which supports classic theory on the impact of OSR and density on reproductive activity.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konrad Lipkowski ◽  
Sophie Steigerwald ◽  
Lisa M Schulte ◽  
Carolin Sommer-Trembo ◽  
Jonas Jourdan

Abstract The extent of male mate choosiness is driven by a trade-off between various environmental factors associated with the costs of mate acquisition, quality assessment and opportunity costs. Our knowledge about natural variation in male mate choosiness across different populations of the same species, however, remains limited. In this study, we compared male mate choosiness across 10 natural populations of the freshwater amphipod Gammarus roeselii (Gervais 1835), a species with overall high male mating investments, and evaluated the relative influence of population density and sex ratio (both affecting mate availability) on male mate choosiness. We investigated amplexus establishment after separating mating pairs and presenting focal males with a novel, size-matched female from the same population. Our analysis revealed considerable effects of sex ratio and (to a lesser extent) population density on time until amplexus establishment (choosiness). Male amphipods are able to perceive variable social conditions (e.g., sex ratio) and modify their mating strategy accordingly: We found choosiness to be reduced in increasingly male-biased populations, whereas selectivity increases when sex ratio becomes female biased. With this, our study expands our limited knowledge on natural variations in male mate choosiness and illustrates the importance of sex ratio (i.e., level of competition) for male mating decisions in natural environments. Accounting for variation in sex ratios, therefore, allows envisioning a distinctive variation of choosiness in natural populations and highlights the importance of considering social background information in future behavioral studies.


Genetics ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 147 (3) ◽  
pp. 1169-1180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daven C Presgraves ◽  
Emily Severance ◽  
Gerald S Willrinson

Meiotically driven sex chromosomes can quickly spread to fixation and cause population extinction unless balanced by selection or suppressed by genetic modifiers. We report results of genetic analyses that demonstrate that extreme female-biased sex ratios in two sister species of stalk-eyed flies, Cyrtodiopsis dalmanni and C. whitei, are due to a meiotic drive element on the X chromosome (Xd). Relatively high frequencies of Xd in C. dalmanni and C. whitei (13–17% and 29%, respectively) cause female-biased sex ratios in natural populations of both species. Sex ratio distortion is associated with spermatid degeneration in male carriers of Xd. Variation in sex ratios is caused by Y-linked and autosomal factors that decrease the intensity of meiotic drive. Y-linked polymorphism for resistance to drive exists in C. dalmanni in which a resistant Y chromosome reduces the intensity and reverses the direction of meiotic drive. When paired with Xd, modifying Y chromosomes (Ym) cause the transmission of predominantly Y-bearing sperm, and on average, production of 63% male progeny. The absence of sex ratio distortion in closely related monomorphic outgroup species suggests that this meiotic drive system may predate the origin of C. whitei and C. dalmanni. We discuss factors likely to be involved in the persistence of these sex-linked polymorphisms and consider the impact of Xd on the operational sex ratio and the intensity of sexual selection in these extremely sexually dimorphic flies.


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