1
|
Pärssinen V, Simmons LW, Kvarnemo C. Mating competition among females: testing the distinction between natural and sexual selection in an insect. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:240191. [PMID: 38586425 PMCID: PMC10999239 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.240191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
In species where females compete for mates, the male often provides the female with resources in addition to gametes. A recently suggested definition of sexual selection proposed that if females only benefit from additional resources that come with each mating and not additional gametes, female intrasexual competition for mating opportunities would result in natural selection rather than sexual selection. The nuptial gift-giving bushcricket Kawanaphila nartee has dynamic sex roles and has been a textbook example of sexual selection acting on females via mating competition. We investigated whether females of this species gain fitness benefits from nuptial gifts, additional ejaculates or both by controlling the number of matings and whether the female was allowed to consume the nutritious gift (spermatophylax) at mating. We found that egg production per day of life increased with the number of additional matings, both with and without spermatophylax consumption, but consuming the spermatophylax had an additional positive effect on the number of eggs. These effects were particularly strong in females with shorter lifespans. We discuss how the recently suggested definition of sexual selection applies to nuptial-feeding insects and conclude that both natural and sexual selections influence mating competition in K. nartee females.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Varpu Pärssinen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg40530, Sweden
| | - Leigh W. Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley6009, Australia
| | - Charlotta Kvarnemo
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg40530, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Burke NW, Holwell G. Costs and benefits of polyandry in a sexually cannibalistic mantis. J Evol Biol 2023; 36:412-423. [PMID: 36537353 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Mating with more than one male often provides direct or indirect benefits to female fitness but can also increase the chance of injury and death. Costs of mating are expected to increase linearly with increasing mating number. But how such costs interact with benefits to determine the net payoff of mating multiply is not well understood. Using the highly cannibalistic Springbok mantis, Miomantis caffra, a species where females are stabbed in the abdomen by males during violent premating struggles that males initiate to avoid being cannibalized, we took an experimental approach to assess the economics of polyandry under the risk of external, male-inflicted injury. We predicted that females that mate multiply would be more likely to show abdominal injuries, have higher prereproductive mortality, produce fewer offspring and be more likely to engage in pre-mating cannibalism to avoid unwanted matings. In line with our predictions, we found that the likelihood of abdominal injury was highest among females that mated at least once, and prereproductive death was highest among females that mated twice or three times. Virgin females completely avoided these costs and produced some offspring parthenogenetically but not enough to provide a net benefit. Although mating was better than not mating, there was no singularly optimal mating number: females that mated once and three times produced similarly high numbers of offspring from the first ootheca, which resulted in an intermediate trough in offspring production at two matings. We also found little evidence that cannibalism was deployed as a mate-avoidance strategy: females consistently attacked and consumed males regardless of how many times they mated or how long they were housed with males. Our results suggest the possibility of two distinct mating strategies in M. caffra, where females either mate at a lower frequency to minimize costs or at a higher frequency to maximize benefits. We discuss possible explanations for this bimodal pattern in offspring production.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nathan W Burke
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Institute of Cell and Systems Biology of Animals, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Gregory Holwell
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Foquet B, Rapkin J, Sharma MD, Sadd BM, Sakaluk SK, Hunt J. Transcriptomic responses of females to consumption of nuptial food gifts as a potential mediator of sexual conflict in decorated crickets. J Evol Biol 2023; 36:183-194. [PMID: 36357978 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Nuptial food gift provisioning by males to females at mating is a strategy in many insects that is thought to be shaped by sexual conflict or sexual selection, as it affords males access to a female's physiology. While males often attempt to use these gifts to influence female behaviour to their own advantage, females can evolve counter mechanisms. In decorated crickets, the male's nuptial gift comprises part of the spermatophore, the spermatophylax, the feeding on which deters the female from prematurely terminating sperm transfer. However, ingested compounds in the spermatophylax and attachment of the sperm-containing ampulla could further influence female physiology and behaviour. We investigated how mating per se and these two distinct routes of potential male-mediated manipulation influence the female transcriptomic response. We conducted an RNA sequencing experiment on gut and head tissues from females for whom nuptial food gift consumption and receipt of an ejaculation were independently manipulated. In the gut tissue, we found that females not permitted to feed during mating exhibited decreased overall gene expression, possibly caused by a reduced gut function, but this was countered by feeding on the spermatophylax or a sham gift. In the head tissue, we found only low numbers of differentially expressed genes, but a gene co-expression network analysis revealed that ampulla attachment and spermatophylax consumption independently induce distinct gene expression patterns. This study provides evidence that spermatophylax feeding alters the female post-mating transcriptomic response in decorated crickets, highlighting its potential to mediate sexual conflict in this system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bert Foquet
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, USA
| | - James Rapkin
- Center for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall, UK
| | - Manmohan D Sharma
- Center for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall, UK
| | - Ben M Sadd
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, USA
| | - Scott K Sakaluk
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, USA
| | - John Hunt
- Center for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall, UK.,School of Science, Western Sydney University, Richmond, New South Wales, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Mating duration and spermatophore transfer in Cryptolaemus montrouzieri (Coccinellidae). Biologia (Bratisl) 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11756-021-00907-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
|
5
|
White MA, Chen DS, Wolfner MF. She's got nerve: roles of octopamine in insect female reproduction. J Neurogenet 2021; 35:132-153. [PMID: 33909537 DOI: 10.1080/01677063.2020.1868457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The biogenic monoamine octopamine (OA) is a crucial regulator of invertebrate physiology and behavior. Since its discovery in the 1950s in octopus salivary glands, OA has been implicated in many biological processes among diverse invertebrate lineages. It can act as a neurotransmitter, neuromodulator and neurohormone in a variety of biological contexts, and can mediate processes including feeding, sleep, locomotion, flight, learning, memory, and aggression. Here, we focus on the roles of OA in female reproduction in insects. OA is produced in the octopaminergic neurons that innervate the female reproductive tract (RT). It exerts its effects by binding to receptors throughout the RT to generate tissue- and region-specific outcomes. OA signaling regulates oogenesis, ovulation, sperm storage, and reproductive behaviors in response to the female's internal state and external conditions. Mating profoundly changes a female's physiology and behavior. The female's OA signaling system interacts with, and is modified by, male molecules transferred during mating to elicit a subset of the post-mating changes. Since the role of OA in female reproduction is best characterized in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, we focus our discussion on this species but include discussion of OA in other insect species whenever relevant. We conclude by proposing areas for future research to further the understanding of OA's involvement in female reproduction in insects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melissa A White
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Dawn S Chen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Mariana F Wolfner
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Singh S, Mishra G, Omkar. Maternal body size and age govern reproduction and offspring phenotype in the zig-zag ladybird beetle ( Menochilus sexmaculatus). CAN J ZOOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2020-0152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Maternal effects are possible channels through which mothers provision their offspring differentially, thereby affecting offspring phenotype. We investigated maternal effects in the zig-zag ladybird beetle (Menochilus sexmaculatus (Fabricius, 1781) = Cheilomenes sexmaculata (Fabricius, 1781)) in response to body size (induced by different feeding regimes during larval development) and their age within the reproductive cycle. Different-sized females were permitted to mate and were provided with daily-replenished ad libitum prey. After mating, reproductive output and developmental duration of offspring from different oviposition days were recorded. We hypothesized that small females would lay smaller and fewer eggs than larger females, and that egg mass would also reduce with increased maternal age. In our study, the larger mothers laid more eggs per day. Small and large mothers oviposited maximally at middle age. Maternal age did not influence the egg mass, although it was slightly higher in the case of older, larger females. Offspring from old, small and large mothers developed rapidly. This nimble development could be an adaptive strategy for the use of ephemeral aphid patches. The results of the study are indicative of this ladybird species’ ability to adjust their offspring’s life-history traits, a feature more prominent in larger females.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shashwat Singh
- Ladybird Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow 226007, India
- Ladybird Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow 226007, India
| | - Geetanjali Mishra
- Ladybird Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow 226007, India
- Ladybird Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow 226007, India
| | - Omkar
- Ladybird Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow 226007, India
- Ladybird Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow 226007, India
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Singh P, Mishra G. Are the effects of hunger stage-specific? A case study in an aphidophagous ladybird beetle. BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2021; 111:66-72. [PMID: 32539897 DOI: 10.1017/s0007485320000309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Food availability is a fundamental factor determining an animal's potential fitness. Carry-over effects of food limitation from development to adulthood are known to influence reproduction, ageing, and tolerance to stress. We have examined the effect of stage-specific variation (before adult emergence or pre-emergence, post-emergence and post-mating) in food availability in Propylea dissecta (Mulsant). Larvae were reared separately on two different pre-emergence food regimes (abundant or restricted) until pupation. Newly emerged adults were further split into two groups and placed on abundant or restricted post-emergence regimes. After mating, females were split and reared on any one of two post-mating regimes. The results revealed that: (i) time to commence mating declined with increased food availability in pre- and post-emergence stages, (ii) mating duration increased with food availability post-emergence, (iii) highest reproduction output was observed in individuals who had abundant food pre- and post-emergence. However, food availability at the time of oviposition also had a strong influence on fecundity. Solo bouts of scarcity, regardless of which stage suffered them, were effectively managed in at least two of the three stages (pre-emergence, post-emergence, post-mating) had abundant food.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Priya Singh
- Ladybird Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow-226007, India
| | - Geetanjali Mishra
- Ladybird Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow-226007, India
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Abraham S, Castillo G, Díaz V, VanNieuwenhove G, Murúa G, Rull J. Promiscous female Euxesta eluta derive nutrients for ovarian development by expelling and consuming ejaculates. INSECT SCIENCE 2020; 27:545-557. [PMID: 30592141 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Revised: 12/09/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Seminal gifts range from important material donations to items that provide little direct benefit to females. Promiscuous, female silk corn flies Euxesta eluta expel and consume male ejaculates immediately after mating. The evolution and function of this peculiar behavior are currently unknown. We performed a series of experiments aimed to: determine if females under different dietary regimes derive nutrients or water for survival and/or reproduction from ejaculate consumption, if males suffer a fitness cost from supplying females with ejaculates, and if females prefer to mate and/or are more likely to store sperm from well fed than nutritionally stressed presumably inferior males. Experiments revealed that protein deprived E. eluta females derive nutrients for ovarian development through consumption of ejaculates of protein fed males. No seminal products affecting survival appear to be transferred in the consumed ejaculate. However, ovarian development, in contrast to testes growth, occurs in detriment of longevity. Females preferred to mate with protein fed males, yet sperm retention in spermathecae was extremely rare after a single mating. This finding suggests that females could be exerting post copulatory control. A key question that remained to be addressed for the understanding of this puzzling and promiscuous mating system is what ecological factors or male traits drive females to retain sperm from one or several males in order to achieve and/or maximize fertilization potential.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Solana Abraham
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Ecoetológicas de Moscas de la Fruta y sus Enemigos Naturales (LIEMEN), PROIMI-Biotecnología, CONICET, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Gisela Castillo
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Ecoetológicas de Moscas de la Fruta y sus Enemigos Naturales (LIEMEN), PROIMI-Biotecnología, CONICET, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Viviana Díaz
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Ecoetológicas de Moscas de la Fruta y sus Enemigos Naturales (LIEMEN), PROIMI-Biotecnología, CONICET, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Guido VanNieuwenhove
- Fundacion Miguel Lillo, Inst. de Entomologia, Depto Zoología, Miguel Lillo 251, San Miguel de Tucuman, Tucuman, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e I.M.L, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Gabriela Murúa
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e I.M.L, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
- Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres (EEAOC)-ITANOA CONICET, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Juan Rull
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Ecoetológicas de Moscas de la Fruta y sus Enemigos Naturales (LIEMEN), PROIMI-Biotecnología, CONICET, Tucumán, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Weber M, Patlar B, Ramm SA. Effects of two seminal fluid transcripts on post-mating behaviour in the simultaneously hermaphroditic flatworm Macrostomum lignano. J Evol Biol 2020; 33:714-726. [PMID: 32064699 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) transferred to mating partners along with sperm often play crucial roles in mediating post-mating sexual selection. One way in which sperm donors can maximize their own reproductive success is by modifying the partner's (sperm recipient's) post-copulatory behaviour to prevent or delay re-mating, thereby decreasing the likelihood or intensity of sperm competition. Here, we adopted a quantitative genetic approach combining gene expression and behavioural data to identify candidates that could mediate such a response in the simultaneously hermaphroditic flatworm Macrostomum lignano. We identified two putative SFPs-Mlig-pro46 and Mlig-pro63-linked to both mating frequency and 'suck' frequency, a distinctive behaviour, in which, upon ejaculate receipt, the worm places its pharynx over its female genital opening and apparently attempts to remove the received ejaculate. We, therefore, performed a manipulative experiment using RNA interference-induced knockdown to ask how the loss of Mlig-pro46 and Mlig-pro63 expression, singly and in combination, affects mating frequency, partner suck propensity and sperm competitive ability. None of the knockdown treatments impacted strongly on the mating frequency or sperm competitive ability, but knockdown of Mlig-pro63 resulted in a significantly decreased suck propensity of mating partners. This suggests that Mlig-pro63 may normally act as a cue in the ejaculate to trigger recipient suck behaviour and-given that other proteins in the ejaculate have the opposite effect-could be one component of an ongoing arms race between donors and recipients over the control of ejaculate fate. However, the adaptive significance of Mlig-pro46 and Mlig-pro63 from a donor perspective remains enigmatic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Weber
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Bahar Patlar
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Steven A Ramm
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Sirot LK. Modulation of seminal fluid molecules by males and females. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 35:109-116. [PMID: 31472462 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2019.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Revised: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In insects, seminal fluid molecules (SFMs) influence female post-mating phenotypes that affect reproductive success including egg development, sperm use, mating behavior, attractiveness, and lifespan. Yet, the magnitude of these effects can be quite variable, even within inbred strains. This variation is important because it could impact post-copulatory reproductive success of both males and females. One likely cause of this variation is modulation by males or females of the quantities or qualities (e.g. stability or activity state) of SFMs, or, in the case of females, of their sensitivity to SFMs. Here, I review opportunities for SFM modulation by males and females and propose that these processes could provide mechanisms by which information received before and during copulation influences post-copulatory reproductive success.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura King Sirot
- Department of Biology, The College of Wooster, Wooster, OH 44691, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Burke NW, Bonduriansky R. Exposure to juvenile males during development suppresses female capacity for parthenogenesis in a stick insect. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
|
12
|
Van Haren MM, Rönn JL, Schilthuizen M, Arnqvist G. Postmating sexual selection and the enigmatic jawed genitalia of Callosobruchus subinnotatus. Biol Open 2017; 6:1008-1012. [PMID: 28583926 PMCID: PMC5550917 DOI: 10.1242/bio.025684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Insect genitalia exhibit rapid divergent evolution. Truly extraordinary structures have evolved in some groups, presumably as a result of postmating sexual selection. To increase our understanding of this phenomenon, we studied the function of one such structure. The male genitalia of Callosobruchus subinnotatus (Coleoptera: Bruchinae) contain a pair of jaw-like structures with unknown function. Here, we used phenotypic engineering to ablate the teeth on these jaws. We then experimentally assessed the effects of ablation of the genital jaws on mating duration, ejaculate weight, male fertilization success and female fecundity, using a double-mating experimental design. We predicted that copulatory wounding in females should be positively related to male fertilization success; however, we found no significant correlation between genital tract scarring in females and male fertilization success. Male fertilization success was, however, positively related to the amount of ejaculate transferred by males and negatively related to female ejaculate dumping. Ablation of male genital jaws did not affect male relative fertilization success but resulted in a reduction in female egg production. Our results suggest that postmating sexual selection in males indeed favors these genital jaws, not primarily through an elevated relative success in sperm competition but by increasing female egg production. Summary: A toothed jaw-like structure on the male genitalia of the seed beetle Callosobruchus subinnotatus increases female egg production after mating.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Merel M Van Haren
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Evolutionsbiologiskt Centrum EBC, Norbyvägen 18 D, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Uppsala University, Sweden .,Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Vondellaan 55, 2332 AA Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Johanna Liljestrand Rönn
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Evolutionsbiologiskt Centrum EBC, Norbyvägen 18 D, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - Menno Schilthuizen
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Vondellaan 55, 2332 AA Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Göran Arnqvist
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Evolutionsbiologiskt Centrum EBC, Norbyvägen 18 D, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Uppsala University, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Jarrige A, Kassis A, Schmoll T, Goubault M. Recently mated males of a lek-mating insect intensify precopulatory mate guarding under male competition. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
|
14
|
Verspoor RL, Hurst GD, Price TA. The ability to gain matings, not sperm competition, reduces the success of males carrying a selfish genetic element in a fly. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
|
15
|
Singh S, Mishra G, Omkar. Perceived prey quantity modulates oviposition in the ladybird Menochilus sexmaculatus. J ETHOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-015-0446-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
|
16
|
Pastok D, Atkinson D, Hurst GD. Assessing the impact of male-killing bacteria on the spread of a sexually transmitted infection. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
|
17
|
Booksmythe I, Fritzsche K, Arnqvist G. Sperm competition generates evolution of increased paternal investment in a sex role-reversed seed beetle. J Evol Biol 2014; 27:2841-9. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2014] [Revised: 11/10/2014] [Accepted: 11/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- I. Booksmythe
- Animal Ecology; Department of Evolution and Genetics; Evolutionary Biology Centre; Uppsala University; Uppsala Sweden
| | - K. Fritzsche
- Animal Ecology; Department of Evolution and Genetics; Evolutionary Biology Centre; Uppsala University; Uppsala Sweden
| | - G. Arnqvist
- Animal Ecology; Department of Evolution and Genetics; Evolutionary Biology Centre; Uppsala University; Uppsala Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Ryder JJ, Hoare MJ, Pastok D, Bottery M, Boots M, Fenton A, Atkinson D, Knell RJ, Hurst GDD. Disease epidemiology in arthropods is altered by the presence of nonprotective symbionts. Am Nat 2014; 183:E89-104. [PMID: 24561609 DOI: 10.1086/674827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Inherited microbial symbionts can modulate host susceptibility to natural enemy attack. A wider range of symbionts influence host population demography without altering individual susceptibility, and it has been suggested that these may modify host disease risk through altering the rate of exposure to natural enemies. We present the first test of this thesis, specifically testing whether male-killing symbionts alter the epidemiology of a sexually transmitted infection (STI) carried by its host. STIs are typically expected to show female-biased epidemics, and we first present a simple model which indicates that male-biased STI epidemics may occur where symbionts create female-biased population sex ratios. We then examined the dynamics of a STI in the ladybird beetle Adalia bipunctata, which is also host to a male-killing bacterium. We present evidence that male-biased epidemics of the STI are observed in natural populations when the male-killer is common. Laboratory experiments did not support a role for differential susceptibility of male and female hosts to the STI, nor a protective role for the symbiont, in creating this bias. We conclude that the range of symbionts likely to alter parasite epidemiology will be much wider than previously envisaged, because it will additionally include those that impact host demography alone.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan J Ryder
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
Perry JC, Tse CT. Extreme costs of mating for male two-spot ladybird beetles. PLoS One 2013; 8:e81934. [PMID: 24339980 PMCID: PMC3855333 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0081934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2013] [Accepted: 10/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Male costs of mating are now thought to be widespread. The two-spot ladybird beetle (Adalia bipunctata) has been the focus of many studies of mating and sexual selection, yet the costs of mating for males are unknown. The mating system of A. bipunctata involves a spermatophore nuptial gift ingested by females after copulation. In this study, we investigate the cost to males of mating and of transferring spermatophores in terms of lifespan, ejaculate production and depletion of nutritional reserves. We found that males faced a strong trade-off between mating and survival, with males that were randomly assigned to mate a single time experiencing a 53% reduction in post-mating lifespan compared to non-mating males. This is among the most severe survival costs of a single mating yet reported. However, spermatophore transfer did not impact male survival. Instead, the costs associated with spermatophores appeared as a reduced ability to transfer spermatophores in successive matings. Furthermore, males ingested more food following spermatophore transfer than after matings without spermatophores, suggesting that spermatophore transfer depletes male nutritional reserves. This is to our knowledge the first report of an effect of variation in copulatory behaviour on male foraging behaviour. Overall, our study highlights the advantages of assessing mating costs using multiple currencies, and suggests that male A. bipunctata should exhibit mate choice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer C. Perry
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Jesus College, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Crystal T. Tse
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Bonduriansky R. The ecology of sexual conflict: background mortality can modulate the effects of male manipulation on female fitness. Evolution 2013; 68:595-604. [PMID: 24102073 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2013] [Accepted: 09/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Sexual and parental conflicts can arise because males benefit by inducing elevated reproductive effort in their mates. For females, the costs of such manipulation are often manifested later in life, and may therefore covary with female life expectancy. Here, I outline a simple female life-history model where female life expectancy reflects extrinsic mortality rate, and elevated reproductive effort causes accelerated senescence. Using this model, I show that variation in extrinsic mortality rate can modulate the magnitude and sign of fitness effects that male manipulation has on females. This result has several interesting implications. First, it suggests that the fitness effects of sexual interactions can depend on ecological factors, such as predation, that influence life expectancy. Second, if mortality risk is condition-dependent but reproductive effort is not fully optimized in relation to individual condition, then sexual conflict intensity may increase with individual condition, selecting for condition-dependent reproductive strategies. Third, if males vary in manipulativeness, then the fitness effects of mating with a given male phenotype may depend on both female condition and extrinsic mortality rate. Fourth, life span extension in the laboratory can lead to overestimation of sexual and parental conflicts. Life expectancy may therefore be a key factor in sexual coevolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Russell Bonduriansky
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Michaud JP, Bista M, Mishra G. Sexual activity diminishes male virility in two Coccinella species: consequences for female fertility and progeny development. BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2013; 103:570-577. [PMID: 23590838 DOI: 10.1017/s0007485313000199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Male contributions, both chemical and behavioural, can influence female sperm usage and reproductive success. To determine whether such male factors are subject to depletion in Coccinella septempunctata and Coccinella transversalis, we tested the effects of male mating history on male virility, as estimated by measures of mating behaviour, female reproductive success and progeny fitness, with parental age held constant. Overt measures of male mating effort (wriggling duration, number of shaking bouts and total copula duration) all diminished from virgin to 5×mated males and were mirrored by concurrent declines in female fecundity and fertility(measured over 20 days). Paternal effects were also observed which diminished as a function of mating history, suggesting that transgenerational signals of male origin are also subject to depletion. Progeny of virgin fathers had higher rates of survival(C. transversalis) and faster development (both species) than progeny of 5×mated fathers. Seminal fluid proteins are known to have allohormonal properties and can stimulate female fecundity and fertility in a number of insects, making them strong candidates for depletion as a function of mating activity. However, it is also possible that sperm limitation and/or reduced tactile stimulation of females by multiple-mated males may have contributed to some of the observed effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J P Michaud
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Agricultural Research Station-Hays, Hays, KS, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Wegener BJ, Stuart-Fox D, Norman MD, Wong BBM. Spermatophore consumption in a cephalopod. Biol Lett 2013; 9:20130192. [PMID: 23740295 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2013.0192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
An individual's gametes can represent a nourishing food source for a manipulative mate. Here, we provide evidence of ejaculate and sperm consumption in a cephalopod. Through labelling male spermatophores with (14)C radiolabel, we found that female squid, Sepiadarium austrinum, consumed the spermatophores of their partners and directed the nutrients received into both somatic maintenance and egg production. We further show that in this species-where fertilization occurs externally in the female's buccal cavity-sperm storage is short-term (less than 21 days). The combination of female spermatophore consumption and short-term external sperm storage has the potential to exert strong selection on male ejaculates and reproductive strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J Wegener
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Perry JC. Mating stimulates female feeding: testing the implications for the evolution of nuptial gifts. J Evol Biol 2011; 24:1727-36. [PMID: 21605217 DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2011.02299.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Nutritional benefits from nuptial gifts have been difficult to detect in some species, raising the question: what maintains nuptial feeding when gifts do not benefit females? The sensory trap hypothesis proposes that nuptial feeding may be explained by pre-existing sensory responses that predispose females to ingest gifts. Recent studies have shown that male seminal proteins can induce a nonspecific increase in female feeding after mating, which may represent a sensory trap for nuptial feeding if it results in increased intake of post-mating gifts. I tested these ideas using female beetles that ingest a spermatophore after mating. I show that males stimulate strongly increased female feeding post-mating. However, there was little evidence for dose dependence in the feeding response that could allow males to stimulate feeding beyond the female optimum. Moreover, the post-mating feeding response could not explain nuptial feeding: despite feeding more in general, newly mated females were less likely than nonmated females to ingest spermatophore gifts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J C Perry
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Avila FW, Sirot LK, LaFlamme BA, Rubinstein CD, Wolfner MF. Insect seminal fluid proteins: identification and function. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2011; 56:21-40. [PMID: 20868282 PMCID: PMC3925971 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-120709-144823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 575] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) produced in reproductive tract tissues of male insects and transferred to females during mating induce numerous physiological and behavioral postmating changes in females. These changes include decreasing receptivity to remating; affecting sperm storage parameters; increasing egg production; and modulating sperm competition, feeding behaviors, and mating plug formation. In addition, SFPs also have antimicrobial functions and induce expression of antimicrobial peptides in at least some insects. Here, we review recent identification of insect SFPs and discuss the multiple roles these proteins play in the postmating processes of female insects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Frank W. Avila
- Dept. of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - Laura K. Sirot
- Dept. of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | | | | | - Mariana F. Wolfner
- Dept. of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Perry JC, Rowe L. Condition-dependent ejaculate size and composition in a ladybird beetle. Proc Biol Sci 2010; 277:3639-47. [PMID: 20573622 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2010.0810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexually selected male ejaculate traits are expected to depend on the resource state of males. Theory predicts that males in good condition will produce larger ejaculates, but that ejaculate composition will depend on the relative production costs of ejaculate components and the risk of sperm competition experienced by low- and high-condition males. Under some conditions, when low condition leads to poorer performance in sperm competition, males in low condition may produce ejaculates with higher sperm content relative to their total ejaculate and may even transfer more sperm than high-condition males in an absolute sense. Previous studies in insects have shown that males in good condition transfer larger ejaculates or more sperm, but it has not been clear whether increased sperm content represents a shift in allocation or simply a larger ejaculate, and thus the condition dependence of ejaculate composition has been largely untested. We examined condition dependence in ejaculate by manipulating adult male condition in a ladybird beetle (Adalia bipunctata) in which males transfer three distinct ejaculate components during mating: sperm, non-sperm ejaculate retained within the female reproductive tract, and a spermatophore capsule that females eject and ingest following mating. We found that high condition males indeed transferred larger ejaculates, potentially achieved by an increased rate of ejaculate transfer, and allocated less to sperm compared with low-condition males. Low-condition males transferred ejaculates with absolutely and proportionally more sperm. This study provides the first experimental evidence for a condition-dependent shift in ejaculate composition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer C Perry
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Abstract
Sexual conflict is a fundamentally important aspect of male-female interactions. In this opinion piece, we emphasize two approaches that warrant significantly greater attention. First, we review the importance of understanding the 'economics' (costs and benefits) of sexual interactions and note surprisingly large, unrecognized gaps in our knowledge. Second, we highlight the novel obstacles and opportunities afforded by the dependence of sexually antagonistic (SA) selection on both the local environment and condition of the interacting individuals. We conclude that more research in these two areas is essential to fully understand the evolution of SA interactions and will provide significant new insights into the extent to which coevolution of the sexes is shaped by conflict. We argue that these approaches, although not new to the field, are undervalued and under-represented.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Fricke
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, Norfolk, UK
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
27
|
Perry JC, Sharpe DM, Rowe L. Condition-dependent female remating resistance generates sexual selection on male size in a ladybird beetle. Anim Behav 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2008.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
|