Reflectance spectra and mating patterns support intraspecific mimicry in the colour polymorphic damselfly Ischnura elegans

Gossum, Hans Van; Bots, Jessica; Heusden, Jasper van; Hammers, Martijn; Huyghe, Katleen; Morehouse, Nathan I

doi:10.1007/s10682-010-9388-z

Cited by 30 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…This is surprising since it can be expected that andromorphs experience lower harassment rates and associated costs due to their male-like appearance, especially in populations where they are the rare morph [29,30,68,69]. Previous work further indicated that female phenotypic appearance varies with the population morph frequency in this system [51].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Negative frequency-dependent selection or alternative reproductive tactics: maintenance of female polymorphism in natural populations

et al. 2013

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BackgroundSex-limited polymorphisms have long intrigued evolutionary biologists and have been the subject of long-standing debates. The coexistence of multiple male and/or female morphs is widely believed to be maintained through negative frequency-dependent selection imposed by social interactions. However, remarkably few empirical studies have evaluated how social interactions, morph frequencies and fitness parameters relate to one another under natural conditions. Here, we test two hypotheses proposed to explain the maintenance of a female polymorphism in a species with extreme geographical variation in morph frequencies. We first elucidate how fecundity traits of the morphs vary in relation to the frequencies and densities of males and female morphs in multiple sites over multiple years. Second, we evaluate whether the two female morphs differ in resource allocation among fecundity traits, indicating alternative tactics to maximize reproductive output.ResultsWe present some of the first empirical evidence collected under natural conditions that egg number and clutch mass was higher in the rarer female morph. This morph-specific fecundity advantage gradually switched with the population morph frequency. Our results further indicate that all investigated fecundity traits are negatively affected by relative male density (i.e. operational sex ratio), which confirms male harassment as selective agent. Finally, we show a clear trade-off between qualitative (egg mass) and quantitative (egg number) fecundity traits. This trade-off, however, is not morph-specific.ConclusionOur reported frequency- and density-dependent fecundity patterns are consistent with the hypothesis that the polymorphism is driven by a conflict between sexes over optimal mating rate, with costly male sexual harassment driving negative frequency-dependent selection on morph fecundity.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Negative frequency-dependent selection or alternative reproductive tactics: maintenance of female polymorphism in natural populations

et al. 2013

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“…Mature females occur as one of three discrete morphs: one blue, male-like, androchrome morph and two green-brown gynochrome morphs, which are called infuscans and infuscans-obsoleta [33]. Although the colouration of androchrome females and conspecific males is virtually identical, they can be distinguished by visual examination of external genitalia and abdomen width [5]. The polymorphism is controlled by a single autosomal locus with three alleles under a simple dominance hierarchy: androchrome > infuscans > infuscans-obsoleta [7].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In damselflies, female-limited colour polymorphisms are common. Generally, one female morph (androchrome) resembles conspecific males in body colouration [5] and behaviour [6], whereas the other female morph(s) (gynochrome) are unlike males (or androchromes) in these traits [7]. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ontogenetic shifts in male mating preference and morph-specific polyandry in a female colour polymorphic insect

et al. 2013

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BackgroundSexual conflict over mating rates may favour the origin and maintenance of phenotypes with contrasting reproductive strategies. The damselfly Ischnura elegans is characterised by a female colour polymorphism that consists of one androchrome and two gynochrome female morphs. Previous studies have shown that the polymorphism is genetic and to a high extent maintained by negative frequency-dependent mating success that varies temporally and spatially. However, the role of learning in male mating preferences has received little attention. We used molecular markers to investigate differences in polyandry between female morphs. In addition, we experimentally investigated innate male mating preferences and experience-dependent shifts in male mating preferences for female morphs.ResultsField and molecular data show that androchrome females were less polyandrous than gynochrome females. Interestingly, we found that naïve males showed significantly higher sexual preferences to androchrome than to gynochrome females in experimental trials. In contrast, experienced males showed no preference for androchrome females.ConclusionsThe ontogenetic change in male mate preferences occurs most likely because of learned mate recognition after experience with females, which in this case does not result in a preference for one of the morphs, but rather in the loss of an innate preference for androchrome females.

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“…The striking resemblance in multiple traits of andromorphs to conspecific males has therefore prompted repeated proposals that andromorphs may be functional male-mimics [23] (or at least 'distracters' [24]). Empirical evidence confirms that andromorphs benefit from resembling males by receiving fewer mating attempts by males, at least when they are rare [25][26][27][28]. Indeed, morph-specific harassment levels and associated fitness costs in terms of reduced fecundity have been shown to vary in a negative frequency-dependent manner [29,30].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Frequency-dependent variation in mimetic fidelity in an intraspecific mimicry system

et al. 2011

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Contemporary theory predicts that the degree of mimetic similarity of mimics towards their model should increase as the mimic/model ratio increases. Thus, when the mimic/model ratio is high, then the mimic has to resemble the model very closely to still gain protection from the signal receiver. To date, empirical evidence of this effect is limited to a single example where mimicry occurs between species. Here, for the first time, we test whether mimetic fidelity varies with mimic/model ratios in an intraspecific mimicry system, in which signal receivers are the same species as the mimics and models. To this end, we studied a polymorphic damselfly with a single male phenotype and two female morphs, in which one morph resembles the male phenotype while the other does not. Phenotypic similarity of males to both female morphs was quantified using morphometric data for multiple populations with varying mimic/model ratios repeated over a 3 year period. Our results demonstrate that male-like females were overall closer in size to males than the other female morph. Furthermore, the extent of morphological similarity between male-like females and males, measured as Mahalanobis distances, was frequency-dependent in the direction predicted. Hence, this study provides direct quantitative support for the prediction that the mimetic similarity of mimics to their models increases as the mimic/model ratio increases. We suggest that the phenomenon may be widespread in a range of mimicry systems.

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Reflectance spectra and mating patterns support intraspecific mimicry in the colour polymorphic damselfly Ischnura elegans

Cited by 30 publications

References 47 publications

Negative frequency-dependent selection or alternative reproductive tactics: maintenance of female polymorphism in natural populations

Negative frequency-dependent selection or alternative reproductive tactics: maintenance of female polymorphism in natural populations

Ontogenetic shifts in male mating preference and morph-specific polyandry in a female colour polymorphic insect

Frequency-dependent variation in mimetic fidelity in an intraspecific mimicry system

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