scholarly journals On the Production, Mating and Behavior of Males in Synoeca surinama (Vespidae: Polistinae: Epiponini)

Sociobiology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 444
Author(s):  
Carlos Alberto Dos Santos ◽  
Marjorie Da Silva ◽  
Fernando Barbosa Noll
Keyword(s):  
Mating Strategies ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Male Behavior ◽  
Daily Production ◽  
Male Mating Strategies ◽  
Mating Opportunities ◽  
Copulation Behavior ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
First Time ◽  
Male Aggregation

In  colonies  of  Neotropical  swarm-founding  wasps  (Epiponini),  males  are  thought  to be produced only in periods when there are many queens present. Little information is available regarding male behavior in and out of the nest, and male mating strategies are poorly understood. Here, a behavioral study of males of Synoeca  surinama is provided and copulation behavior inside a nest is described for the first time. A description of an aggregation of non-natal males at a nest is also provided. The behavior of males was observed in three colonies subjected to removal of queens for another study. Nest envelope was partially removed, and the observations were made directly (seen by “the naked eye”) and indirectly (through camcorder recordings), daily. Production of males occurred in large colonies with number of workers being more relevant than the number of the queens. Males of the aggregation were marked and filmed. The aggregation of non-natal males was observed for seven consecutive days next to the largest colony; some of the males attended the aggregation on consecutive days. The males were observed accessing the comb by the opening in the envelope and courting new queens. One successful copulation on the comb of the nest was observed. In the colony where the male aggregation was observed, 47.6% of the new queens were inseminated while in the other two colonies, no new queens were inseminated. These observations suggest males are attracted to, aggregate and seek mating opportunities at non-natal colonies that are producing young adult queens.

scholarly journals Paternity in wild ring‐tailed lemurs ( Lemur catta ): Implications for male mating strategies

2016 ◽  
Vol 78 (12) ◽  
pp. 1316-1325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joyce A. Parga ◽  
Michelle L. Sauther ◽  
Frank P. Cuozzo ◽  
Ibrahim Antho Youssouf Jacky ◽  
Richard R. Lawler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lemur Catta ◽  
Mating Strategies ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Male Mating Strategies

Interplay of male traits, male mating strategies and female mate choice in the Asian elephant, Elephas maximus

Behaviour ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 152 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 1113-1144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karpagam Chelliah ◽  
Raman Sukumar
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Mate Guarding ◽  
Female Mate Choice ◽  
Mating Strategies ◽  
Asian Elephant ◽  
Dominant Male ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Male Body ◽  
Female Mate ◽  
Male Mating Strategies

Elaborate male traits with no apparent adaptive value may have evolved through female mate discrimination. Tusks are an elaborate male-only trait in the Asian elephant that could potentially influence female mate choice. We examined the effect of male body size, tusk possession and musth status on female mate choice in an Asian elephant population. Large/musth males received positive responses from oestrous females towards courtship significantly more often than did small/non-musth males. Young, tusked non-musth males attempted courtship significantly more often than their tuskless peers, and received more positive responses (though statistically insignificant) than did tuskless males. A positive response did not necessarily translate into mating because of mate-guarding by a dominant male. Female elephants appear to choose mates based primarily on traits such as musth that signal direct fertility benefits through increased sperm received than for traits such as tusks that may signal only indirect fitness benefits.

scholarly journals Correlates of Male Mating Strategies in White Rhinos (Ceratotherium simum)

1998 ◽  
Vol 79 (4) ◽  
pp. 1317-1324 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. L. Rachlow ◽  
E. V. Berkeley ◽  
J. Berger
Keyword(s):  
Mating Strategies ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Ceratotherium Simum ◽  
Male Mating Strategies

Resources, not male mating strategies, are a determinant of social structure in Gunnison's prairie dogs (Cynomys gunnisoni)

Behaviour ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 144 (11) ◽  
pp. 1361-1382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Social Structure ◽  
Home Range Size ◽  
Mating Strategies ◽  
Prairie Dogs ◽  
Territory Size ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Cynomys Gunnisoni ◽  
Male Mating Strategies ◽  
Gunnison's Prairie Dogs

AbstractPrevious studies of Gunnison's prairie dogs, Cynomys gunnisoni, have reached different conclusions about the factors influencing sociality in this species. In this study I tested whether Gunnison's prairie dog social structure was resource-based or whether male mating strategies drive the organizational patterns observed. Group size, where the term group refers to individuals occupying the same territory, was predicted by territory size and density of food available. The spatial overlap of adults within territories was positively correlated with spatial patchiness of food resources. All group members participated in territory defense, although adult males engaged in significantly more intergroup aggressive interactions. There was no significant difference in adult male and female home range size. The number of female home ranges that any given male home range overlapped was not correlated with male body mass, male home range size, or territory size. Contrary to predictions of typical mammalian male mating strategies, adult females ranged significantly further than males during the mating period. Body mass of males and nonreproductive females was similar, whereas that of reproductive females was smaller. In addition, males and females did not differ in size, based on skull length and skull width. Results from this study strongly suggest that patterns of space use and social structure in Gunnison's prairie dogs are the result of individual responses to resource abundance and distribution and are not due to male mating strategies, such as resource defense or female defense polygyny.

Effects of alternative male mating strategies on characteristics of sperm production in the Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ): theoretical and empirical investigations

1995 ◽  
Vol 350 (1334) ◽  
pp. 391-399 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Salmon ◽  
Sperm Competition ◽  
Salmo Salar ◽  
Reproductive Traits ◽  
Fertilization Success ◽  
Mating Strategies ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Sperm Length ◽  
Male Mating Strategies ◽  
Natural Variance

Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ) males mature as either tiny precocious parr before seaward migration, or as older and larger anadromous males. Anadromous males dominate the spawning redds and aggressively defend females against parr intrusions. Parr gain fertilizations by sneaking in to ejaculate while anadromous males and females spawn. Such differences in mating advantage generate asymmetries in risk of sperm competition between the male strategies. Theoretical sperm competition models predict that males typically mating in disfavoured roles (here, the parr strategy) should be selected to offset this disadvantage by investing more into spermatogenesis to achieve fertilization success. First, we present a theoretical model which analyses gametic expenditure for salmon parr and anadromous male reproductive strategies. We then use the natural variance in mating pattern within this species to compare empirically how males invest in spermatogenesis. A range of reproductive traits were measured for both male strategies. Absolutely, anadromous males have larger testes and produce greater numbers of sperm than parr males. However, results show that parr invest relatively more heavily into total spermatogenesis, and have a larger gonosomatic index than anadromous males. Relative to body size, parr produced greater numbers of sperm and volumes of stripped ejaculate. There was no difference in sperm length between the two male strategies. However, more sperm were motile in parr ejaculates, and these sperm lived longer than anadromous male sperm. Our findings may explain how male parr, under elevated risks of sperm competition and occupying a disfavoured mating role (parr weigh only 0.15% of the average body mass of anadromous males) achieve disproportionately high fertilization success.

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