Mating experience influences mate choice and reproductive output in an aphidophagous ladybird, Menochilus sexmaculatus

2018 ◽  
Vol 68 (3) ◽  
pp. 247-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ankita Dubey ◽  
Swati Saxena ◽  
Geetanjali Mishra ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Reproductive Output ◽  
Mating Behaviour ◽  
Reproductive Behaviour ◽  
Mating Status ◽  
Mating Experience ◽  
Males And Females

AbstractInformation about mating status can be used to decide about whether to invest resources in mating with a particular partner. In the present study, we evaluated mate choice in relation to the mating experience of males and females ofMenochilus sexmaculatus. We subjected both unmated and multiply mated males and females to different mate choice trials. The mating experience of the adults includes unmated, once-mated, twice-mated and multiply mated. The mate choice trials revealed that unmated adults were preferred over mated adults by both unmated and multiply mated partners. This preference for unmated partners also had consequences for mating behaviour and reproductive output. Unmated and multiply mated females commenced mating with unmated males earlier. In addition, unmated and multiply mated males invested more time in copula with unmated females. Moreover, females mated with unmated males were more fecund than those mated with previously mated males. This suggests that mating experience of mates may influence mating and reproductive behaviour in this species.

Female control of reproductive behaviour in the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), with notes on female competition for mating

Behaviour ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 155 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica L. Thomas ◽  
Marissa L. Parrott ◽  
Kathrine A. Handasyde ◽  
Peter Temple-Smith
Keyword(s):  
Mating Behaviour ◽  
Reproductive Behaviour ◽  
Female Competition ◽  
Time Investment ◽  
Ornithorhynchus Anatinus ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Infrared Cameras ◽  
And Control

Abstract Opportunities for studying platypus courtship and mating behaviours in the wild are limited due to the nocturnal and cryptic nature of this species. We report on platypus courtship and mating behaviour from a successful breeding program at Healesville Sanctuary, Victoria, in which platypuses were held as either breeding pairs or trios over seven years. Behaviour was recorded daily on infrared cameras resulting in over 80,000 h of footage that was analysed for activity periods, and courtship and mating behaviours including non-contact and contact courtship, mating and avoidance. Our aims were to describe and quantify courtship and mating interactions between males and females, and to determine if either sex controlled the initiation and continuation of the behaviours. From our observations, we describe a new courtship behaviour, non-contact courtship, which constituted the majority of all mating season interactions between males and females. The time between first and last appearance of a courtship and mating behaviour was 41.0 ± 6.6 days, with the females showing behavioural receptivity for 29.6 ± 5.1 days. Female platypuses used three evasive strategies in relation to approaches by males: avoidance, flight and resistance. Females controlled the duration of 79% of encounters using resistance. For the first time, two females were seen competing with each other over access to the male platypus in their enclosure and for nesting material. Time investment in courtship and mating behaviours was a poor indicator of receptivity and breeding success, and we suggest that breeding failure is more likely to be associated with failure of fertilisation, nest building, embryonic development or incubation. We describe how female platypuses demonstrate evasiveness and control of courtship and mating behaviours, and the importance of providing these opportunities in captivity to promote successful breeding.

scholarly journals Mating behaviour, mate choice and female resistance in the bean flower thrips (Megalurothrips sjostedti)

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adeyemi O. Akinyemi ◽  
Sevgan Subramanian ◽  
David K. Mfuti ◽  
Tom W. Pope ◽  
Amanuel Tamiru ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Mating Behaviour ◽  
Female Mate Choice ◽  
Adaptive Significance ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Mating Status ◽  
Megalurothrips Sjostedti ◽  
Flower Thrips ◽  
Thrips Species ◽  
Sub Saharan

AbstractMany species of thrips (Thysanoptera) in the family Thripidae form mating aggregations, but the adaptive significance of these aggregations and the extent of male and female mate choice is poorly understood. We studied the mating behaviour of the bean flower thrips Megalurothrips sjostedti (Trybom) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), which forms male aggregations and occurs across sub-Saharan Africa. We tested whether males choose mates by female age or mating status. No-choice mating bioassays with one male and one female were used to simulate the way males usually encounter only one female at a time in aggregations in the field. Virgin females violently resisted mating attempts by males, but we found no compelling evidence to establish whether this was indiscriminate or was screening suitable males. Younger males (1–2 days old) did not discriminate females by age (1–2 or 7–10 days old), but older males (7–10 days old) avoided mating with older females. Any male choice by female mating status (virgin or mated) was weak or absent. The mating behaviour of M. sjostedti shows broad similarities with that of other thrips species that form aggregations, but also shows some distinct and novel differences, which can help our understanding of the adaptive significance of aggregations.

scholarly journals Male parent birds exert more effort to reproduce in two desert passerines

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Donghui Ma ◽  
Mengjie Lu ◽  
Zhichang Cheng ◽  
Xingnan Du ◽  
Xiaoyu Zou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Output ◽  
Female Parent ◽  
Northwest China ◽  
Reproductive Behaviour ◽  
Male Parent ◽  
Hatching Rate ◽  
Feeding Rates ◽  
Passerine Species ◽  
Arid Desert ◽  
Habitat Environment

Abstract Background Parental investment by birds is limited by the habitat environment, and a male parent increases its effort to reproduce in birds that live in high-altitude areas. Methods A study of the reproductive behaviour of the Saxaul Sparrow (Passer ammodendri) and the Isabelline Shrike (Lanius isabellinus) was carried out at the Gansu An’xi Extremely Arid Desert National Nature Reserve in northwest China to determine the reproductive input of passerine species in desert habitats. Results In Saxaul Sparrows, compared to the female parent, the male parent exhibited a significantly higher frequency of nest-defense behaviour (chirping and warning) during nesting, hatching and feeding periods. In addition, in comparison to the female parent, the male parent exhibited almost equal frequencies of nesting and incubation but fed nestlings significantly more times. Similar to the male sparrows, the feeding rates of the male Isabelline Shrikes were significantly higher than those of the females. The hatching rate and fledging rate of the Saxaul Sparrow on average in this study were 81.99 and 91.92%, respectively, while those of the shrike were 69.00 and 96.53%, respectively. Conclusions These two different passerine species living in the same desert environment exhibited the same trend in their reproductive investments. Adapting to desert environments is a strategy that may have evolved in passerines where male parent birds put more effort than females into reproduction to ensure high reproductive output.

Spawning behaviour of Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua: evidence of mate competition and mate choice in a broadcast spawner

1999 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey A Hutchings ◽  
Todd D Bishop ◽  
Carolyn R McGregor-Shaw
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Gadus Morhua ◽  
Dna Analysis ◽  
Atlantic Cod ◽  
Multiple Paternity ◽  
Reproductive Behaviour ◽  
Male Dominance ◽  
Male Body ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Spawning Period

We quantified individual differences in Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, reproductive behaviour at a field-reported spawning density under experimental conditions. Marked individuals (nine females, seven males) were observed twice daily and videotaped continuously for 9 weeks at ambient photoperiod and temperature in a large tank (60 m3). Agonistic interactions appeared to maintain a size-based dominance hierarchy among males. Multiple paternity per spawning bout, revealed by microsatellite DNA analysis, suggested a link between dominance and fertilization success. Interactions between sexes were dominated by the circling of females by males. Predicated by vertical separation from males, and after descending to the bottom, a motionless female would be circled up to 17 times, often by one male per circling bout but by several males throughout the spawning period. Although circling frequency increased with male dominance and male body size, initiation and termination of this behaviour appeared to be under female control. Circling provides opportunities for males to gain individual access to reproductive females and for females to assess the quality of potential mates. Our evidence for nonrandom mate choice and for male-male competition and display has implications for Atlantic cod mating systems and effects of fishing on their reproductive success.

Cod courtship song: a song at the expense of dance?

1999 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
pp. 542-550 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frode Engen ◽  
Ivar Folstad
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Gadus Morhua ◽  
Reproductive Behaviour ◽  
Courtship Song ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Individual Quality ◽  
Allocation Of Resources ◽  
Parasite Resistance ◽  
Sperm Density ◽  
Tentative Explanation

Sexually selected characters may reveal information about individual quality during mate choice. Fin display and sound emitted with the aid of specific drumming muscles are characters described as being of importance in the reproductive behaviour of cod (Gadus morhua L.). We examined whether the mass of drumming muscles or fin size was sexually dimorphic, and whether these characters could provide information about male cod that was potentially of benefit to mate-seeking females. The mass of drumming muscles, but not fin size, was sexually dimorphic, with males having larger muscles than females. Neither the mass of drumming muscles nor fin size apparently revealed information about traits that may be associated with parasite resistance in males (i.e., parasite intensities and leukocyte densities). However, variation in fertilization potential (i.e., spermatocrit level) among males was related to both mass of drumming muscles and fin size. Thus, by evaluating sound and fin size, mate-seeking females may obtain information about fertilization ability among males. This may be of particular importance for females in a species whose eggs commonly remain unfertilized. Furthermore, males with large drumming muscles and small fins had low spermatocrit levels. This may reflect reductions in sperm density resulting from frequent ejaculations by attractive males. A costly allocation of resources for the development of drumming muscles at the expense of fin muscles used for propulsion is presented as a tentative explanation as to why females should pay attention to these particular traits during courtship. Increased investment in "song" may thus appear at the expense of "dance."

scholarly journals Heightened condition dependent expression of structural colouration in the faces, but not wings, of male and female flies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas E White ◽  
Amy Locke ◽  
Tanya Latty
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Condition Dependence ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Honest Signals ◽  
Mutual Mate Choice ◽  
Close Range ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Structural Colouration

Abstract Structurally coloured sexual signals are a conspicuous and widespread class of ornament used in mate choice, though the extent to which they encode information on the quality of their bearers is not fully resolved. Theory predicts that signalling traits under strong sexual selection as honest indicators should evolve to be more developmentally integrated and exaggerated than nonsexual traits, thereby leading to heightened condition dependence. Here we test this prediction through examination of the sexually dimorphic faces and wings of the cursorial fly Lispe cana. Males and females possess structural UV-white and golden faces, respectively, and males present their faces and wings to females during close-range, ground-based courtship displays, thereby creating the opportunity for mutual inspection. Across a field-collected sample of individuals, we found that the appearance of the faces of both sexes scaled positively with individual condition, though along separate axes. Males in better condition expressed brighter faces as modelled according to conspecific flies, whereas condition scaled with facial saturation in females. We found no such relationships for their wing interference pattern nor abdomens, with the latter included as a nonsexual control. Our results suggest that the structurally coloured faces, but not the iridescent wings, of male and female Lispe cana are reliable guides to individual quality and support the broader potential for structural colours as honest signals. They also highlight the potential for mutual mate choice in this system, while arguing for one of several alternate signalling roles for wing interferences patterns among the myriad taxa which bear them.

scholarly journals A LIFE-HISTORY PERSPECTIVE ON SEXUAL SELECTION IN A POLYGAMOUS SPECIES

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gao Ke ◽  
Michiel van Wijk ◽  
Zoe Clement ◽  
Martijn Egas ◽  
Astrid Groot
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Life History ◽  
Sperm Competition ◽  
Reproductive Output ◽  
Relative Fitness ◽  
Quadratic Model ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Bateman Gradient ◽  
Multiple Matings ◽  
Males And Females

Abstract Background Ever since Darwin, evolutionary biologists have studied sexual selection driving differences in appearance and behaviour between males and females. An unchallenged paradigm in such studies is that one sex (usually the male) signals its quality as a mate to the other sex (usually the female), who is choosy in accepting a partner. Here, we argue that in polygamous species these roles may change dynamically with the mating status of males and females, depending on direct reproductive costs and benefits of multiple matings, and on sperm competition. We test this hypothesis using a polygamous moth species, as in moths not males but females are the signalers and males are the responders. Results We found that multiple matings are beneficial as well as costly for both sexes. Specifically, the number of matings did not affect the longevity of males or females, but when paired with a new virgin mate every night for five nights, only 67% of the males and 14% of the females mated successfully in all five nights. The female’s reproductive output increased with multiple matings, although when paired with a new virgin male every night, additional matings beyond 3 decreased her reproductive output, so that the Bateman gradient for females fit a quadratic model better than a linear model. The male’s reproductive success was positively affected by the number of matings and a linear regression line best fit the data. Simulations of the effect of sperm competition showed that increasing last-male paternity increases the steepness of the male Bateman gradient and thus the male’s relative fitness gain from additional mating. Irrespective of last-male paternity value, the female Bateman gradient is steeper than the male one for up to three matings. Conclusion Our results suggest that choosiness in moths may well change throughout the mating season, with males being more choosy early in the season and females being more choosy after having mated at least three times. This life-history perspective on the costs and benefits of multiple matings for both sexes sheds new light on sexual selection forces acting on sexual signals and responses.

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.

Mating status of coexisting conspecific individuals modulate reproduction in a ladybird, Menochilus sexmaculatus

2021 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-214
Author(s):  
Shashwat Singh ◽  
Geetanjali Mishra ◽  
Omkar
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Early Onset ◽  
Crucial Role ◽  
Reproductive Behaviour ◽  
Reproductive Parameters ◽  
Mating Status ◽  
Ladybird Beetle ◽  
Close Vicinity ◽  
Offspring Fitness ◽  
Petri Dishes

Abstract The mating status of organisms plays a crucial role in deciphering mating decision and reproductive success of any organisms. Odour or pheromones are known to be perceived by animals through olfaction to locate mates at a distance. In this study, an attempt was made to investigate the effect of the presence of unmated and mated conspecific adults on mating and reproductive parameters of the ladybird beetle, Menochilus sexmaculatus (Fabricius, 1781). To conduct this experiment, an arena was made with the help of two Petri dishes and in such a manner that the experimental adults were only able to perceive the presence of conspecific adults of different mating status in their close vicinity. The results of the study demonstrated an early onset of mating in the presence of males compared to females. Another male in the vicinity poses competition that may force the males to establish genital contact faster. In the absence of any potential rival, copulation duration was highest. Females laid more eggs in the presence of mated females. This may be to increase offspring fitness in the presence of potential competitors for the already mated female. Females laid fewer eggs in the presence of unmated females. Unmated females nearby can be another choice for a male and thus, the male possibly limits the size of the ejaculate containing oviposition stimulants. The current study advocates that mating and reproductive behaviour are modulated according to the perceived surroundings in the form of conspecific adults of different mating status.

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