scholarly journals Differences in Long-Chained Cuticular Hydrocarbons between Males and Gynes in Cataglyphis Desert Ants

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shani Inbar ◽  
Eyal Privman
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Mate Choice ◽  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Mating Behavior ◽  
Cuticular Hydrocarbons ◽  
Social Insects ◽  
Sex Pheromones ◽  
Polar Fraction ◽  
Virgin Queens ◽  
First Time

AbstractCuticualar hydrocarbons play an important role in chemical communication in social insects, serving, among other things, as nestmate, gender, dominance and fertility recognition cues. In ants, however, very little is known about the precopulatory signals cuticular hydrocarbons carry. These signals may serve as affecting sex pheromones and aphrodisiacs or as reliable signals for idiosyncratic traits, which indirectly affect sexual selection. In this study, we examined, for the first time, in the Cataglyphis genus, sex-specific variability in cuticular hydrocarbons. We focused on a species that exhibits split sex-ratio and found significant quantitative differences between virgin queens and their potential mates. In an analyses of both absolute amounts and relative amounts, we found different compounds to be significantly displayed on gynes and drones, suggesting absolute and relative amounts may carry different signals influencing mating behavior and mate choice. We discuss the possible signals advertised by the non-polar fraction of these hydrocarbon profiles.

Male Choice, Female Competition, and Female Ornaments in Sexual Selection

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingo Schlupp
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Mate Choice ◽  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Female Competition ◽  
Male Mate Choice ◽  
Male Choice ◽  
Female Quality ◽  
Female Ornaments ◽  
Sexual Selection Theory ◽  
Male Mate

When Darwin first proposed sexual selection theory he suggested two mechanisms: competition among males and choice by females. There is no doubt that these mechanisms are immensely important, but their mirror images have been largely underappreciated so far. In fact, males choose as well and females compete. Males choose based on female quality, often selecting mating partners that are more fecund. But male choice is also associated with changes in the sex ratio of a population and males can be choosy when they are rare. Furthermore, males sometimes invest heavily into reproduction and that too can be associated with male choice. That females compete with another, although less often with open aggression, is another understudied phenomenon. Finally, we now know that females are often ornamented, but are these ornaments under sexual selection by males? This book tries to review what we know and point to what we don’t know while pointing out the connections between male mate choice and female competition for a more complete view of sexual selection.

Moth pheromone genetics and evolution

1993 ◽  
Vol 340 (1292) ◽  
pp. 167-177 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Mate Choice ◽  
Sex Pheromones ◽  
Species Recognition ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Mate Recognition ◽  
Genetic Dissection ◽  
Pheromone Communication ◽  
Mate Finding ◽  
Important Progress

Sex pheromone communication in moths is a well investigated case of mate-finding by chemical signals, but the evolutionary causes of the great complexity and diversity of these signals are still not generally agreed on. In the present paper, I argue that there is no reason to dismiss species recognition as a possible cause of evolutionary change in moth sex pheromones. Admittedly, selection for species recognition cannot explain all of the diversity in sex pheromones and the data supporting this contention are weak, but the alternative causes suggested, invoking mate choice between conspecifics as the mechanism of sexual selection, has so far no empirical support. Finding and analysing genes responsible for m ate choice is important to corroborate any theory of sexual selection and speciation. In this respect genetic dissection of moth pheromone communication has provided important progress. Mendelian genes controlling differences in m ate choice and in the production of mate recognition signals have been found. Polymorphic pheromone systems give the population biologists unique possibilities to study mate choice and selection at the genotype level in nature.

scholarly journals Preregistered Report: The Effects of Marking Methodology on Mate Choice in Drosophila melanogaster

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 492-504
Author(s):  
Eirlys E. Tysall ◽  
Matilda Q. R. Pembury Smith ◽  
R. Tucker Gilman
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Mate Choice ◽  
Mating Behavior ◽  
Choice Experiments ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Model System ◽  
Drosophila Species ◽  
Fluorescent Powder ◽  
Key Driver

Mate choice is an important source of sexual selection and a key driver of evolutionary processes including adaptation and speciation. Drosophila species have become an important model system for studying mate choice in the lab. Mate choice experiments often require the marking of individual flies to make those flies identifiable to experimenters, and several marking methods have been developed. All of these methods have the potential to affect mating behavior, but the effects of different marking methods have not been systematically quantified and compared. In this experiment, we quantified and compared the effects of five marking methods commonly used for Drosophila melanogaster: wing clipping, applying paint to the thorax, applying marker pen to the wing, dusting flies with fluorescent powder, and dyeing flies by allowing them to ingest food coloring. Females mated with unmarked males more often than they mated with marked males, but we could not detect significant differences among marking methods. Latency to mate differed among marking methods, and also with the time of day and the time within the trial. We discuss how our results can help researchers plan studies that require the marking of Drosophila.

Sexual Behavior is Enhanced by Regular, Repeated Mating from Young Adulthood to Middle Age in Female Long-Evans Rats

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-177
Author(s):  
Fay A. Guarraci ◽  
Chantal M.F. Gonzalez ◽  
Devon Lucero ◽  
Lourdes K. Davis ◽  
Sarah H. Meerts
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Behavior ◽  
Mating Behavior ◽  
Preference Test ◽  
Sexual History ◽  
Female Rats ◽  
Male Rat ◽  
Female Rat ◽  
Repeated Mating ◽  
First Time ◽  
Mating Tests

Background: Aging is associated neuroendocrine changes in women. Animals can be used to model these changes, as well as changes in reproductive behavior. Objective: The current study was designed to characterize mating behavior across age and assess the effects of age and sexual history on mating behavior. Methods: Sexual motivation was assessed using the partner-preference test, in which a female rat is given the choice to interact with a same-sex conspecific or a sexually-vigorous male rat, with which she can mate. Results: Across repeated mating tests (2-12 months of age), female rats spent more time with the male, displayed more solicitation behaviors, were less likely to leave the male after mounts, but visited both stimulus animals less frequently. Comparing a separate group of age-matched, hormoneyoked female rats mated for the first time at 12 months of age to female rats mated for the first time at 2 months of age showed that the 12 month rats visited both stimulus animals less, were less likely to leave the male after mounts, took longer to return to the male after mounts, and displayed fewer solicitation behaviors than their younger counterparts. Relative to middle-aged female rats once they were sexually experienced, 12 month naïve rats spent less time with the male, were more likely to leave the male after mounts, and displayed fewer solicitation behaviors. Furthermore, 12 month naïve rats failed to discriminate between the stimulus animals, visiting both stimulus animals at the same rate unlike 2 month naïve or 12 month experienced rats. Conclusion: Taken together, these results suggest that aging affects some measures of sexual behavior, but most effects of age can be mitigated by regular, repeated mating.

scholarly journals A unique mating pattern of Panorpodes kuandianensis (Mecoptera: Panorpodidae)

2017 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 229-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Tong ◽  
Lu Jiang ◽  
Bao-Zhen Hua
Keyword(s):  
Mating Behavior ◽  
Sexual Conflict ◽  
Sperm Transfer ◽  
Nuptial Gift ◽  
Mating Pattern ◽  
End To End ◽  
Mating Behaviors ◽  
First Time

Sexually reproductive insects exhibit diverse mating behaviors. However, the mating pattern remains unknown for Panorpodes of Panorpodidae to date. In this study, we investigated the mating behavior and copulatory mechanism of the short-faced scorpionfly Panorpodes kuandianensis Zhong, Zhang and Hua, 2011 for the first time. The results show that the male provides a salivary mass as a nuptial gift to the female and starts to copulate with the female in a V-shaped position, then changes to an end-to-end position by temporarily twisting the female abdominal segments VII−IX by 180°. During mating the basal processes and the basal teeth of the gonostyli and the hypandrium are used to obtain copulation and sustain the coupling of genitalia to secure successful sperm transfer. This unique mating pattern is greatly different from that of other Mecoptera reported and is likely evolved as an adaptation in the context of sexual conflict.

scholarly journals Vibrational communication and mating behavior of the greenhouse whitefly Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Valeria Fattoruso ◽  
Gianfranco Anfora ◽  
Valerio Mazzoni
Keyword(s):  
Mating Behavior ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
Trialeurodes Vaporariorum ◽  
Vibrational Communication ◽  
Greenhouse Whitefly ◽  
Behavioral Manipulation ◽  
Vibrational Signals ◽  
Intraspecific Communication ◽  
Behavioral Transition ◽  
First Time

AbstractThe greenhouse whitefly (GW), Trialeurodes vaporariorum is considered one of the most harmful insect pests in greenhouses worldwide. The GW mating behavior has been partially investigated and its vibrational communication is only in part known. A deeper knowledge of its intraspecific communication is required to evaluate the applicability of control methods based on techniques of behavioral manipulation. In this study, for the first time, we provided a detailed ethogram of the GW mating behavior and we characterized the vibrational signals emitted during the process of pair formation. We characterized two types of male vibrational emissions (“chirp” and “pulses”), differently arranged according to the behavioral stage to form stage-specific signals, and a previously undescribed Male Rivalry Signal. We recorded and characterized two new female signals: The Female Responding Signal and the Female Rejective Signal. The mating behavior of GW can be divided into six different stages that we named “call”, “alternated duet”, “courtship”, “overlapped duet”, “mating”, “failed mating attempt”. The analysis performed with the Markovian behavioral transition matrix showed that the “courtship” is the key stage in which male exhibits its quality and can lead to the “overlapped duet” stage. The latter is strictly associated to the female acceptance and therefore it plays a crucial role to achieve mating success. Based on our findings, we consider the use of vibrational playbacks interfering with GW mating communication a promising option for pest control in greenhouses. We discuss the possibility to start a research program of behavioral manipulation to control the populations of GW.

scholarly journals Gamete-mediated mate choice: towards a more inclusive view of sexual selection

2018 ◽  
Vol 285 (1883) ◽  
pp. 20180836 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jukka Kekäläinen ◽  
Jonathan P. Evans
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Mate Choice ◽  
Sperm Competition ◽  
Female Choice ◽  
Mating Systems ◽  
Molecular Level ◽  
Evolutionary Significance ◽  
Random Interactions ◽  
Physiological Processes ◽  
The Everyday

‘Sperm competition’—where ejaculates from two or more males compete for fertilization—and ‘cryptic female choice’—where females bias this contest to suit their reproductive interests—are now part of the everyday lexicon of sexual selection. Yet the physiological processes that underlie these post-ejaculatory episodes of sexual selection remain largely enigmatic. In this review, we focus on a range of post-ejaculatory cellular- and molecular-level processes, known to be fundamental for fertilization across most (if not all) sexually reproducing species, and point to their putative role in facilitating sexual selection at the level of the cells and gametes, called ‘gamete-mediated mate choice’ (GMMC). In this way, we collate accumulated evidence for GMMC across different mating systems, and emphasize the evolutionary significance of such non-random interactions among gametes. Our overall aim in this review is to build a more inclusive view of sexual selection by showing that mate choice often acts in more nuanced ways than has traditionally been assumed. We also aim to bridge the conceptual divide between proximal mechanisms of reproduction, and adaptive explanations for patterns of non-random sperm–egg interactions that are emerging across an increasingly diverse array of taxa.

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