scholarly journals Nocturnal mating behaviour and dynamic male investment of copulation time in the southern blue-ringed octopus, Hapalochlaena maculosa (Cephalopoda: Octopodidae)

Behaviour ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 152 (14) ◽  
pp. 1883-1910 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Morse ◽  
Kyall R. Zenger ◽  
Mark I. McCormick ◽  
Mark G. Meekan ◽  
Christine L. Huffard
Keyword(s):  
Mating Systems ◽  
Mating Behaviour ◽  
Female Size ◽  
Male Size ◽  
Male Preference ◽  
Video Footage ◽  
Mating History ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Strategic Allocation ◽  
Do So

The southern blue-ringed octopus,Hapalochlaena maculosaHoyle (1883), is a nocturnal species that exhibits a mating system in which females hold sperm from multiple males over a one to two month breeding window before laying a single egg clutch. Contrary to most studied animal mating systems where anisogamy exists, gamete package production is limited for both males and females of this species (approx. 50 spermatophores/eggs). This presents an animal model for studying aspects of sperm competition and dynamic mate choice behaviours. The present study reports on the mating behaviour ofH. maculosaobserved under laboratory conditions using infrared closed-circuit television video footage. Rates of male copulation attempts increased with male size, while female receptivity to mating attempts increased with female size, resulting in larger animals of both sexes gaining more copulations and spending more time per day in copulation. There was some evidence of female preference of larger males, but no male preference of females based on measured morphological traits. Both sexes terminated copulations in equal frequencies but male-terminated copulations were significantly shorter in duration. Males were more likely to terminate copulation early with females they had previously mated with, however were less likely to do so if the female had recently mated with a different male. Among male-terminated copulations, males mated for longer with females that had previously mated with other males in the trial. Male–male mounts were as common as male–female mounts, suggesting that maleH. maculosaare not able to discriminate the sex of conspecifics. These findings suggest male strategic allocation of spermatophores based female mating history is an important factor influencing mating behaviours of this species.

Size influences male mating success in the alfalfa blotch leafminer (Diptera: Agromyzidae)

2001 ◽  
Vol 133 (5) ◽  
pp. 717-719 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arild Andersen ◽  
Jeremy N. McNeil
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Female Size ◽  
Larval Competition ◽  
Female Reproduction ◽  
Male Size ◽  
Female Life History ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Alfalfa Blotch Leafminer ◽  
Agromyza Frontella

Male size is an important parameter in mate choice for many species and has been associated with such female life-history parameters as increased fecundity or fertility and larger progeny (Phelan and Baker 1986; Savalli and Fox 1998, 1999; Brown 1999). In the alfalfa blotch leafminer, Agromyza frontella (Rondani), intraspecific larval competition may significantly influence the size of both males and females (Quiring and McNeil 1984a). The influence of female size on female reproductive success has been studied (Quiring and McNeil 1984b, 1984c), but to date, no attention has been given to the possible effects of male size. The objectives of this study were to determine if differences in male size, the result of intraspecific larval competition, affected male longevity and reproductive success, as well as various parameters of female reproduction.

scholarly journals Female size and pre-copulatory sexual selection by males of intertidal snail (Littorina saxatilis)

SURG Journal ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nora Alsafi
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Reproductive Isolation ◽  
Driving Forces ◽  
Mating Frequency ◽  
Female Size ◽  
Littorina Saxatilis ◽  
Male Size ◽  
Female Relative ◽  
Intertidal Snail ◽  
Males And Females

Littorina saxatilis, the rough periwinkle, is highly promiscuous and polyandrous; female L. saxatilis snails rarely reject male advances. Sexual selection by males has been observed in this species. Sexual selection is one of the driving forces of evolution and may be a significant contributor to partial reproductive isolation between two ecotypes of L. saxatilis. Male sexual selection based on female size was investigated for wave-exposed crab ecotype snails in this study. Males and females were measured and placed in mating arenas. Males were presented with a choice of a smaller or larger female relative to themselves. Mating frequency and duration was recorded. A total of 19 successful trials were performed. A significantly higher mating frequency (p<0.005) was associated with larger females, indicating that males exhibit strong pre-copulatory sexual selection. Mating duration was significantly longer for larger female mating events (p<0.05) but was also equally determined by male size (p<0.05) as larger males tended to mate for longer. These results indicate that a strong sexual selection by males exists for L. saxatilis, in which larger females are preferred. This behavior may be a response to perceived fecundity of females, and/or may be a product of selection against hybrids.

scholarly journals Who’s your daddy? A behavioral and genetic study of multiple paternity in a polygamous marine invertebrate, Octopus oliveri

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Ylitalo ◽  
Thomas A Oliver ◽  
Iria Fernandez-Silva ◽  
James B Wood ◽  
Robert J Toonen
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Study ◽  
Mating Systems ◽  
Marine Invertebrate ◽  
Multiple Paternity ◽  
Rocky Intertidal ◽  
Female Size ◽  
Male Size ◽  
Behavioral Experiments ◽  
Male Trait ◽  
Mating Time

Octopus oliveri is a widespread and common rocky intertidal cephalopod that mates readily in the laboratory, but for which mating behavior has not been reported previously. Four sets of behavioral experiments were recorded wherein three males, in varying order, were introduced to each of the six females, for a total of 24 females and 12 males. Video analysis shows that successful mating occurred in each of the mount, reach and beak-to-beak positions. Mating was observed for all males, regardless of size relative to the female, or order of introduction. Females showed preference for the first male to which they were introduced in experimental pairings rather than any specific male trait, and mating time increased significantly with increasing female size. Five novel microsatellite markers were developed and used to test paternity in the eleven broods resulting from these experimental pairings. We find skewed paternity in each brood, with early male precedence and male size being the best predictors of parentage. Multiple paternity was observed in every experimental cross but was estimated to be comparatively low in the field, suggesting that sperm limitation may be common in this species. We see no evidence of direct sperm competition in Octopus oliveri, but larger males produce significantly more offspring, perhaps because they can include more spermatozoa in spermatophores. This study contributes to the growing research on cephalopod mating systems and indicates that octopus mating dynamics may be more variable and complex than thought previously.

scholarly journals Who’s your daddy? A behavioral and genetic study of multiple paternity in a polygamous marine invertebrate, Octopus oliveri

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Ylitalo ◽  
Thomas A Oliver ◽  
Iria Fernandez-Silva ◽  
James B Wood ◽  
Robert J Toonen
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Study ◽  
Mating Systems ◽  
Marine Invertebrate ◽  
Multiple Paternity ◽  
Rocky Intertidal ◽  
Female Size ◽  
Male Size ◽  
Behavioral Experiments ◽  
Male Trait ◽  
Mating Time

Octopus oliveri is a widespread and common rocky intertidal cephalopod that mates readily in the laboratory, but for which mating behavior has not been reported previously. Four sets of behavioral experiments were recorded wherein three males, in varying order, were introduced to each of the six females, for a total of 24 females and 12 males. Video analysis shows that successful mating occurred in each of the mount, reach and beak-to-beak positions. Mating was observed for all males, regardless of size relative to the female, or order of introduction. Females showed preference for the first male to which they were introduced in experimental pairings rather than any specific male trait, and mating time increased significantly with increasing female size. Five novel microsatellite markers were developed and used to test paternity in the eleven broods resulting from these experimental pairings. We find skewed paternity in each brood, with early male precedence and male size being the best predictors of parentage. Multiple paternity was observed in every experimental cross but was estimated to be comparatively low in the field, suggesting that sperm limitation may be common in this species. We see no evidence of direct sperm competition in Octopus oliveri, but larger males produce significantly more offspring, perhaps because they can include more spermatozoa in spermatophores. This study contributes to the growing research on cephalopod mating systems and indicates that octopus mating dynamics may be more variable and complex than thought previously.

scholarly journals A behavioral and genetic study of multiple paternity in a polygamous marine invertebrate, Octopus oliveri

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e6927 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Ylitalo ◽  
Thomas A. Oliver ◽  
Iria Fernandez-Silva ◽  
James B. Wood ◽  
Robert J. Toonen
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Study ◽  
Mating Systems ◽  
Marine Invertebrate ◽  
Multiple Paternity ◽  
Rocky Intertidal ◽  
Female Size ◽  
Male Size ◽  
Behavioral Experiments ◽  
Male Trait ◽  
Mating Time

Octopus oliveri is a widespread and common rocky intertidal cephalopod that mates readily in the laboratory, but for which mating behavior has not been reported previously. Four sets of behavioral experiments were recorded wherein three males, small, medium & large in varying order, were introduced to each of six females, for a total of 24 individual females and 12 individual males utilized in the experiments. Video analysis shows that successful mating occurred in each of the mount, reach and beak-to-beak positions. Mating was observed for all males, regardless of size relative to the female, or order of introduction. Females showed preference for the first male to which they were introduced in experimental pairings rather than any specific male trait, and mating time increased significantly with increasing female size. Five novel microsatellite markers were developed and used to test paternity in the eleven broods resulting from these experimental pairings. We found skewed paternity in each brood, with early male precedence and male size being the best predictors of parentage. Multiple paternity was observed in every experimental cross but was estimated to be comparatively low in the field, suggesting that sperm limitation might be common in this species. We saw no evidence of direct sperm competition in Octopus oliveri, but larger males produced significantly more offspring. This study contributes to the growing research on cephalopod mating systems and indicates that octopus mating dynamics might be more variable and complex than thought previously.

scholarly journals Be prudent if it fits you well: male mate choice depends on male size in a golden orb-weaver spider

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pietro Pollo ◽  
Danilo Germano Muniz ◽  
Eduardo S. A. Santos
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Reproductive Potential ◽  
Female Size ◽  
Male Mate Choice ◽  
Male Size ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Male Preference ◽  
Female Quality ◽  
Male Mate

Male preference for high-quality females is expected to evolve when male reproductive potential is restricted. However, when there is competition among males, some models predict the evolution of assortative male mate choice, in which good competitors choose high quality females while poor competitors choose lower quality females to avoid competition. In Trichonephila clavipes spiders, males have limited sperm supply and fight for access to females. We tested whether female quality and male size (a proxy of fighting ability) influence male decisions in T. clavipes. We used field experiments in which males could choose among two available females in a scenario free of competition. We found that males choose their mates based on both female size and female recent pairing status (whether the female was accompanied by a male before the experiment). Importantly, male mate choice exhibited plasticity, and varied with male size, as large males preferred larger females that were recently unpaired, medium-sized males showed no preference, and small males preferred smaller, recently paired females. Because all females appear to attract males, we predict that variation on male mate choice attenuates sexual selection on females. Our findings confirm the prediction of variable male mate choice when there is male-male competition and male reproductive potential is restricted, a pattern that may be common, but hard to detect.

Some Males are Choosier Than Others: Species Recognition in Blue Waxbills

Behaviour ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 141 (8) ◽  
pp. 1021-1039 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Selective Pressure ◽  
Species Recognition ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Mate Preferences ◽  
Female Size ◽  
Male Preference ◽  
Mating Preferences ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Male Mate ◽  
Species Specific

AbstractWe investigated whether species specific mating preferences differed between the sexes in three species of blue waxbill (genus Uraeginthus). We compared male preference for conspecific females versus heterospecific blue waxbill females using two-way choice trials. The results were compared with predictions of the strength of species specific mating preferences made on the basis of several different hypotheses. These predictions were made according to the specific behavioural and morphological traits of the three species, their phylogenetic relatedness and relative geographical location. Males did not prefer conspecific females whenever they were given a choice of a larger heterospecific female. Furthermore, males tended to discriminate between females more strongly when there was a large difference in size between the two species of females that they had been presented with. Relating the strength of males preference for conspecific females to the predictions made according to the different hypotheses it appeared that males were discriminating between females on the basis of their size. We compared male mate preferences for conspecifics versus heterospecifics with female mate preferences for conspecifics versus heterospecifics that had been ascertained in a previous study. There were marked differences between preference for conspecifics between the sexes for all three species, suggesting that males and females used different criteria to choose mates when discriminating between related species. Males appeared to use female size whereas females appeared to use the degree of male ornamentation, suggesting that mate preference is under a different selective pressure between the sexes. The results of this study have identified that there is a potential for hybridisation between blue breast females and both red cheek and blue cap males. In the event of a geographical change leading to sympatry between these species the degree of hybridisation will depend on the preference criteria within each species and the differences in morphology between those species. This will ultimately determine how discrimination between heterospecifics will interact with conspecific mate choice.

Reproductive behavior

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Olzer ◽  
Rebecca L. Ehrlich ◽  
Justa L. Heinen-Kay ◽  
Jessie Tanner ◽  
Marlene Zuk
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Sexual Conflict ◽  
Female Choice ◽  
Reproductive Behavior ◽  
Mating Systems ◽  
Insect Behavior ◽  
Sequential Approach ◽  
Evolutionary Mechanisms ◽  
Anatomy And Physiology ◽  
Males And Females

Sex and reproduction lie at the heart of studies of insect behavior. We begin by providing a brief overview of insect anatomy and physiology, followed by an introduction to the overarching themes of parental investment, sexual selection, and mating systems. We then take a sequential approach to illustrate the diversity of phenomena and concepts behind insect reproductive behavior from pre-copulatory mate signalling through copulatory sperm transfer, mating positions, and sexual conflict, to post-copulatory sperm competition, and cryptic female choice. We provide an overview of the evolutionary mechanisms driving reproductive behavior. These events are linked by the economic defendability of mates or resources, and how these are allocated in each sex. Under the framework of economic defendability, the reader can better understand how sexual antagonistic behaviors arise as the result of competing optimal fitness strategies between males and females.

scholarly journals Different stress from parasites and mate choice in two female morphs of the blue-tailed damselfly

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erica Subrero ◽  
Irene Pellegrino ◽  
Marco Cucco
Keyword(s):  
Mating Behaviour ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Similar Frequency ◽  
Male Preference ◽  
Ischnura Elegans ◽  
Emergence Success ◽  
The Common ◽  
Nw Italy ◽  
Whole Life Cycle ◽  
Pairing Behaviour

AbstractIn Odonates, female colour polymorphism is common and implies the presence of two or more female types with different colours and behaviours. To explain this phenomenon, several hypotheses have been proposed that consider morph frequency, population density, the presence of parasites, and mating behaviour. We studied the blue-tailed damselfly Ischnura elegans, a species with a blue androchrome morph and two gynochrome morphs (the common green infuscans, and the rare orange rufescens-obsoleta). The size of adult males and females, the presence of parasites, and pairing behaviour between males and the three female morphs was assessed in field conditions throughout the reproductive season in NW Italy. Moreover, growth and emergence success of larvae produced by the different morphs was analyzed in standardized conditions. In the field, males showed a preference for the gynochrome infuscans females, despite a similar frequency of androchrome females. In test conditions, male preference for the infuscans females was also observed. Paired males and paired androchrome females were larger than unpaired individuals, while there were no differences in size between paired and unpaired infuscans females. Males and androchrome females were more parasitized than infuscans females. The survival and emergence success of larvae produced by androchrome females was higher than those of offspring produced by the infuscans females. Our results suggest that a higher survival of progeny at the larval stage could counterbalance the higher parasitism and the lower pairing success of andromorph adult females and highlight the importance of considering the whole life-cycle in polymorphism studies.

Mating in the harvestman Leiobunum vittatum (Arachnida: Opiliones): from premating struggles to solicitous tactile engagement

Behaviour ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 151 (12-13) ◽  
pp. 1663-1686 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kasey D. Fowler-Finn ◽  
Emilia Triana ◽  
Owen G. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Morphological Traits ◽  
Nuptial Gift ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Male Size ◽  
Mechanical Advantage ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Mutual Mate Choice ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Study ◽  
Multiple Stages

When mating interactions are influenced by multiple sources of selection, they may involve multiple stages of mate assessment. At each stage, a different set of morphological and behavioural traits may be important in determining the outcome of the interaction. Here, we test the potential for multiple sources of selection to shape mating interactions in Leiobunum vittatum harvestmen, commonly known as ‘daddy longlegs’. We provide a qualitative and quantitative study of mating interactions, and investigate the influence of multiple morphological traits on each of several distinct stages of their mating interactions. Mating interactions start with a struggle between males and females during which the male attempts to secure the females in a mating embrace. Success at this stage depends on the length of the male’s clasping pedipalps: those with shorter pedipalps (and thus greater mechanical advantage) were more successful. Male size relative to the female determines how quickly males achieve this embrace. Mating interactions then proceed to tactile exchanges between males and females, indicating the potential for mutual mate choice and/or peri- and post-copulatory selection. We found no morphological predictors of the timing of these later stages of the mating interactions, and suggest that the exchange of a nuptial gift is important for the dynamics of these stages. Overall, our results highlight L. vittatum as a potentially highly informative group for studying how traits involved in mating are shaped by the interaction of selection across multiple stages in mating interactions.

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