Mating and longevity in ant males

Metzler, Sina; Heınze, Jürgen; Schrempf, Alexandra

doi:10.1002/ece3.2474

Cited by 16 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 33 publications

(37 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Despite the accumulation of evidence that a strong allocation to sperm production can entail acute physiological costs, its long‐term consequences in terms of lifespan or survival ageing have been largely overlooked. Yet, some studies performed on insects have revealed that high mating rates can shorten male lifespan (Partridge and Farquhar, 1981; Martin and Hosken, 2004; Paukku and Kotiaho, 2005; Dao et al ., 2010; Metzler et al ., 2016; Jehan et al ., 2020), which might be due to the down‐regulation of the expression of some specific genes (e.g. metabolic genes) straight after sexual activity (Branco et al ., 2017).…”

Section: Ageing Costs Of Sperm Competitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The hidden ageing costs of sperm competition

2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Ageing and sexual selection are intimately linked. There is by now compelling evidence from studies performed across diverse organisms that males allocating resources to mating competition incur substantial physiological costs, ultimately increasing ageing. However, although insightful, we argue here that to date these studies cover only part of the relationship linking sexual selection and ageing. Crucially, allocation to traits important in post-copulatory sexual selection, that is sperm competition, has been largely ignored. As we demonstrate, such allocation could potentially explain much diversity in male and female ageing patterns observed both within and among species. We first review how allocation to sperm competition traits such as sperm and seminal fluid production depends on the quality of resources available to males and can be associated with a wide range of deleterious effects affecting both somatic tissues and the germline, and thus modulate ageing in both survival and reproductive terms. We further hypothesise that common biological features such as plasticity, prudent sperm allocation and seasonality of ejaculate traits might have evolved as counter-adaptations to limit the ageing costs of sperm competition. Finally, we discuss the implications of these emerging ageing costs of sperm competition for current research on the evolutionary ecology of ageing.

show abstract

Section: Ageing Costs Of Sperm Competitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The hidden ageing costs of sperm competition

2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In male insects, the longevity costs of mating have been well-described thanks to experiments manipulating the male reproductive energy expenditures (see [ 52 ] for a review of empirical evidence). For example, in the social ant species Cardiocondyla obscurior , males experimentally assigned to a ‘high mating rate’ treatment showed a reduced lifespan by approximately 35% compared to that of males assigned to a ‘low mating rate’ treatment, with a result interpreted as a possible trade-off between reproductive energy expenditure (i.e., in spermatogenesis and/or courtship behaviour) and somatic maintenance [ 73 ]. Such mating costs have also been reported in wild populations of antler flies ( Protopiophila litigata ) in which long-lived males had a lower mating rate [ 74 ].…”

Section: Sex Gap In Aging and Longevity As A Side-effect Of Sexual Sementioning

confidence: 99%

Sex gap in aging and longevity: can sex chromosomes play a role?

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

It is well known that women live longer than men. This gap is observed in most human populations and can even reach 10–15 years. In addition, most of the known super centenarians (i.e., humans who lived for > 110 years) are women. The differences in life expectancy between men and women are often attributed to cultural differences in common thinking. However, sex hormones seem to influence differences in the prevalence of diseases, in the magnitude of aging, and in the longevity between men and women. Moreover, far from being human specific, the sex gap in longevity is extremely common in non-human animals, especially in mammals. Biological factors clearly contribute to such a sex gap in aging and longevity. Different hypotheses have been proposed to explain why males and females age and die differently. The cost of sexual selection and sexual dimorphism has long been considered the best explanation for the observed sex gap in aging/longevity. However, the way mitochondria are transmitted (i.e., through females in most species) could have an effect, called the mother’s curse. Recent data suggest that sex chromosomes may also contribute to the sex gap in aging/longevity through several potential mechanisms, including the unguarded X/Z, the toxic Y/W and the loss of Y/W. We discuss future research directions to test these ideas.

show abstract

“…In insects, there may be a trade-off between mating and survival, as their longevity tends to decrease as the mating frequency increases (Oliver and Cordero 2009, Metzler et al 2016). This trade-off may not exist for some insects (Camacho-Garcia et al 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Male mating and female postmating performances in cotton mealybug (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae): effects of female density

Tong

et al. 2019

Journal of Economic Entomology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

For insects, female density is closely related to reproductive output. However, little is known about the effects of female density on male mating and female postmating performances. Here, we explored the effects of female density in cotton mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), an invasive, rapidly spreading pest in Asia damaging multiple crops and horticultural plants. Using USB digital microscopes, we investigated the frequency, duration, and intervals of mating for males that were individually supplied with 1, 5, 10, and 15 females. We also evaluated the reproduction of mated females and the sex ratio of their offspring. As the female density increased, males mated with more females while substantially shortening mating intervals. Mating occurred actively at the densities of 10 and 15 females, where males mated four times on average, and some mated 6–9 times. However, mating duration and the observed reproductive parameters of females (preoviposition period, overall period from formation of ovisacs to female death, fecundity, and offspring sex ratio) did not differ significantly with female density. A weak trade-off existed between males’ mating frequency and longevity, but there was no relationship between females’ fecundity and longevity. In conclusion, despite their short lifespan, P. solenopsis males have a high mating capacity, and their mating frequency and intervals can be significantly affected by female density. In contrast, female density has little influence on females’ postmating performance. Our findings indicate the significance of the reproductive biology and life history strategies for rapid establishment and population development of mealybugs in newly invaded regions.

show abstract

Mating and longevity in ant males

Cited by 16 publications

References 33 publications

The hidden ageing costs of sperm competition

The hidden ageing costs of sperm competition

Sex gap in aging and longevity: can sex chromosomes play a role?

Male mating and female postmating performances in cotton mealybug (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae): effects of female density

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About