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

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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How multiple mating by females affects sexual selection

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rstb.2012.0046 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 368 (1613) ◽

pp. 20120046 ◽

Cited By ~ 39

Author(s):

Stephen M. Shuster ◽

William R. Briggs ◽

Patricia A. Dennis

Keyword(s):

Sexual Selection ◽

Life History ◽

Multiple Mating ◽

Female Offspring ◽

Relative Fitness ◽

Male Mating ◽

Female Fitness ◽

Offspring Number ◽

Reproductive Life ◽

Sperm Utilization

Multiple mating by females is widely thought to encourage post-mating sexual selection and enhance female fitness. We show that whether polyandrous mating has these effects depends on two conditions. Condition 1 is the pattern of sperm utilization by females; specifically, whether, among females, male mating number, m (i.e. the number of times a male mates with one or more females) covaries with male offspring number, o . Polyandrous mating enhances sexual selection only when males who are successful at multiple mating also sire most or all of each of their mates' offspring, i.e. only when Cov ♂ ( m , o ), is positive. Condition 2 is the pattern of female reproductive life-history; specifically, whether female mating number, m , covaries with female offspring number, o . Only semelparity does not erode sexual selection, whereas iteroparity (i.e. when Cov ♀ ( m , o ), is positive) always increases the variance in offspring numbers among females, which always decreases the intensity of sexual selection on males. To document the covariance between mating number and offspring number for each sex, it is necessary to assign progeny to all parents, as well as identify mating and non-mating individuals. To document significant fitness gains by females through iteroparity, it is necessary to determine the relative magnitudes of male as well as female contributions to the total variance in relative fitness. We show how such data can be collected, how often they are collected, and we explain the circumstances in which selection favouring multiple mating by females can be strong or weak.

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Male remating and female fitness in the wolf spider Pardosa astrigera: the role of male mating history

Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology ◽

10.1007/s00265-010-1049-2 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 65 (2) ◽

pp. 325-332 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Xiaoguo Jiao ◽

Zhanqi Chen ◽

Jun Wu ◽

Hongyan Du ◽

Fengxiang Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Wolf Spider ◽

Male Mating ◽

Female Fitness ◽

Mating History ◽

Pardosa Astrigera

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No evidence for strategic male mating effort in response to female weight in a bushcricket

Behaviour ◽

10.1163/156853907781890904 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 144 (10) ◽

pp. 1179-1192 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Klaus Reinhold ◽

Hasan Sevgili

Keyword(s):

Empirical Studies ◽

Theoretical Models ◽

Male Mating ◽

Female Size ◽

Male Body ◽

Sperm Number ◽

Sperm Allocation ◽

Mating History ◽

Female Quality ◽

Spermatophore Size

AbstractTheoretical models predict that males should allocate sperm in response to female quality and empirical studies have shown that fecundity traits including age, mass and mating status can influence male sperm allocation strategies. We tested whether female size has an influence on sperm allocation in the bushcricket Poecilimon jonicus jonicus (Orthoptera: Phaneropterinae). Contrary to other studies, we found neither evidence of strategic sperm allocation in response to female size nor an effect of female size on spermatophore size. Male age and mating history was positively related to sperm number during sequential matings, but had no effect on spermatophylax or ampulla weight. Spermatophore weight, but not sperm number, was positively correlated with male body weight. Ampulla weight was positively correlated with spermatophylax weight.

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A Molecular Insight into the Synergistic Mechanism of Nigella sativa (Black Cumin) with β-Lactam Antibiotics against Clinical Isolates of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app11073206 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 3206

Author(s):

Lorina I. Badger-Emeka ◽

Promise Madu Emeka ◽

Hairul Islam M. Ibrahim

Keyword(s):

Staphylococcus Aureus ◽

Mechanism Of Action ◽

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus ◽

Nigella Sativa ◽

Synergistic Effects ◽

Diffusion Method ◽

Methicillin Resistant ◽

Cell Wall Disruption ◽

Time Kill ◽

Insight Into

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection is detrimental to hospitalized patients. With diminishing choices of antibiotics and the worry about resistance to colistin in synergistic combined therapy, there are suggestions for the use of herbal derivatives. This investigation evaluated the synergistic effects of Nigella sativa (NS) in combination with beta-lactam (β-lactam) antibiotics on extreme drug-resistant (XDR) MRSA isolates. NS concentrations of 10, 7.5, 5.0, 2.5, 1.0, and 0.1 µg/mL, alone and in combination with β-lactam antibiotics, were used to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of MRSA isolates by the well diffusion method. Time–kill assays were performed using a spectrophotometer, with time–kill curves plotted and synergism ascertained by the fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC). Scanning and transmission electron microscopy were used to gain insight into the mechanism of action of treated groups. Isolates were inhibited by the NS concentrations, with differences in the zones of inhibition being statistically insignificant at p < 0.05. There were statistically significant differences in the time–kill assay for the MRSA isolates. In addition, NS combined with augmentin showed better killing than oxacillin and cefuroxime. The mechanism of action shown by the SEM and TEM results revealed cell wall disruption, which probably created interference that led to bacterial lysis.

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Insight into the synergistic effects of conductive biochar for accelerating maturation during electric field-assisted aerobic composting

Bioresource Technology ◽

10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125359 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 125359

Author(s):

Tao Fu ◽

Huayuan Shangguan ◽

Jiaxiong Wu ◽

Jiahuan Tang ◽

Haijing Yuan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Electric Field ◽

Synergistic Effects ◽

Aerobic Composting ◽

Insight Into

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Neuropeptide signalling shapes feeding and reproductive behaviours in male C. elegans

10.1101/2021.11.29.470485 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Matthew J Gadenne ◽

Iris Hardege ◽

Djordji Suleski ◽

Paris Jaggers ◽

Isabel Beets ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Synaptic Connectivity ◽

Male Mating ◽

Sexually Dimorphic ◽

C Elegans ◽

Mating Efficiency ◽

Sexually Dimorphic Expression ◽

Pharyngeal Pumping ◽

Insight Into ◽

Feeding Behaviours ◽

Dimorphic Expression

Sexual dimorphism occurs where different sexes of the same species display differences in characteristics not limited to reproduction. For the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, in which the complete neuroanatomy has been solved for both hermaphrodites and males, sexually dimorphic features have been observed both in terms of the number of neurons and in synaptic connectivity. In addition, male behaviours, such as food-leaving to prioritise searching for mates, have been attributed to neuropeptides released from sex-shared or sex-specific neurons. In this study, we show that the lury-1 neuropeptide gene shows a sexually dimorphic expression pattern; being expressed in pharyngeal neurons in both sexes but displaying additional expression in tail neurons only in the male. We also show that lury-1 mutant animals show sex differences in feeding behaviours, with pharyngeal pumping elevated in hermaphrodites but reduced in males. LURY-1 also modulates male mating efficiency, influencing motor events during contact with a hermaphrodite. Our findings indicate sex-specific roles of this peptide in feeding and reproduction in C. elegans, providing further insight into neuromodulatory control of sexually dimorphic behaviours.

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Impact of male mating history on the postmating resumption of sexual receptivity and lifetime reproductive success in Choristoneura rosaceana females

Physiological Entomology ◽

10.1111/j.1365-3032.2006.00510.x ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 31 (3) ◽

pp. 227-233 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

MIREILLE MARCOTTE ◽

JOHANNE DELISLE ◽

Jeremy N. Mcneil

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Success ◽

Lifetime Reproductive Success ◽

Sexual Receptivity ◽

Male Mating ◽

Choristoneura Rosaceana ◽

Mating History

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Females of a solitary bee reject males to collect food for offspring

Behavioral Ecology ◽

10.1093/beheco/araa026 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 31 (4) ◽

pp. 884-891 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ana Laura Dutra ◽

Clemens Schlindwein ◽

Reisla Oliveira

Keyword(s):

Natural Habitat ◽

Model Organisms ◽

Male Mating ◽

Solitary Bee ◽

Female Reproductive Success ◽

Offspring Production ◽

Quantitative Estimates ◽

Foraging Performance ◽

In The Wild ◽

The Mean

Abstract The time dedicated to courtship and copulation is the most general cost of mating for females. However, quantitative estimates of this cost and the consequences for female mating behavior have been investigated for only a few model organisms and mostly under laboratory conditions. We determined the costs of copulations and persistent courtship by males in terms of time for females of the solitary bee Anthrenoides micans. We estimated the rate and duration of male mating behaviors and the consequences for sexual interactions for females with respect to the loss of foraging opportunity in the wild. Males invested most of their time searching for mates and intercepted foraging females every 3 min. Copulas lasted, on average, 10 times longer than the time females took to resist male mating attempts. Despite the high frequency of these rejections (82%), females spent 3-fold more time copulating than rejecting males. Considering the rate of encounters with males and the mean duration of flower visits by females, we estimated that females would perform 64% fewer flower visits per hour if they accepted all copulation attempts. The loss of time is especially significant in the natural habitat of the species, where host cacti blossom for extraordinary short periods of time and females compete with other cacti-specialized bees and conspecifics. Because the offspring production of a female solitary bee depends on its pollen collection capacity, reduced foraging performance directly influences female reproductive success.

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THE MATING STATUS OF SPRUCE BUDWORM MALES, CHORISTONEURA FUMIFERANA (CLEM.) (LEPIDOPTERA: TORTRICIDAE), CAUGHT IN PHEROMONE-BAITED TRAPS

Journal of Entomological Science ◽

10.18474/0749-8004-21.3.254 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 21 (3) ◽

pp. 254-262 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

J. Chris Bergh ◽

William D. Seabrook

Keyword(s):

Choristoneura Fumiferana ◽

Ejaculatory Duct ◽

Spruce Budworm ◽

Sampling Period ◽

Male Mating ◽

Mating Status ◽

Mating History ◽

Baited Traps ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Flight Season

The mating status of recently-mated male spruce budworm moths, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), caught in traps baited with five different treatments was indexed. During two sampling periods at two test sites both virgin and mated C. fumiferana males were trapped. Significantly more unmated males were captured early in the flight season. There was no significant difference between the proportion of mated and unmated males caught near the end of the flight season. Within sampling periods and sites there were not significant differences among treatments in the proportion of mated males captured nor were these proportions significantly different within sampling periods and between sites. Within sites and between sampling periods the proportion of mated males captured was significantly different, with more mated males being trapped during the later sampling period. The four lepidopteran species for which methodologies have been developed for indexing male mating status are compared with respect to the nature and behaviour of the colored ejaculatory duct fluids that are used as markers of mating history. Current limitations of the method are discussed and possible solutions to these are suggested.

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