Size‐Dependent Mating Success at Various Nutritional States in the Yellow Dung Fly

Blanckenhorn, Wolf U.; Birrer, Maurus; Meier, Christoph M.; Reim, Constanze; Teuschl, Yvonne; Weibel, Denise

doi:10.1111/j.1439-0310.2008.01521.x

Cited by 12 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Depleted energy reserves have previously been shown to decrease male mating propensity, capture success and copulation duration in S. stercoraria [55,56], although in contrast to this study, Ward & Simmons [55] found a more pronounced decrease in mating propensity when energy depleted males were paired with females in the absence of dung. Alternatively, the attempt rate of large males in non-competitive environments may be inherently lower than that of small males, as suggested by Blanckenhorn et al [57], who found lower mating success for larger males in the laboratory under noncompetitive conditions, although it is unclear whether females influenced mating success in this experiment.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 67%

Alternative mating tactics in the yellow dung fly: resolving mechanisms of small-male advantage off pasture

et al. 2014

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Recent work suggests that the yellow dung fly mating system may include alternative patroller-competitor mating tactics in which large males compete for gravid females on dung, whereas small, non-competitive males search for females at foraging sites. Small males obtain most matings off pasture, yet the behavioural mechanism(s) giving rise to this pattern are unknown. We investigated the male and female behaviours that determine mating success in this environment by conducting field mating experiments and found small males to benefit from several attributes specific to the off-pasture mating environment. First, small males from foraging sites exhibited higher mating propensity, indicating that large males away from dung may be depleted of energy and/or sperm. Second, small males were more discriminating, being significantly less likely to attempt with non-gravid females, which are absent on dung but common off pasture. Third, non-gravid females were generally more likely to actively struggle and reject mating attempts; however, such behaviours occurred disproportionately more often with large males. Female Scathophaga stercoraria thus appear to preferentially mate with small males when off pasture. These findings challenge assumptions about male-female interactions in systems with alternative mating tactics and reveal hidden processes that may influence selection patterns in the field.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 67%

Alternative mating tactics in the yellow dung fly: resolving mechanisms of small-male advantage off pasture

et al. 2014

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“…Possible explanations include (i) only smaller males seek copulations on pomace (e.g. larger males on pomace are only there to feed), (ii) smaller males are better at searching for females on pomace (Blanckenhorn et al 2008), and/or (iii) females are able to exert mate choice on pomace and have a preference for smaller males. Any combination of these three mechanisms supports the interpretation of an alternative mating tactic.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Size-dependent alternative male mating tactics in the yellow dung fly, Scathophaga stercoraria

et al. 2009

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Whenever males can monopolize females and/or resources used by females, the opportunity for sexual selection will be great. The greater the variation among males in reproductive success, the greater the intensity of selection on less competitive males to gain matings through alternative tactics. In the yellow dung fly, Scathophaga stercoraria, males aggressively compete for access to receptive, gravid females on fresh dung. Larger males are better able to acquire mates and to complete copulation successfully and guard the female throughout oviposition. Here we demonstrate that when an alternative resource is present where females aggregate (i.e. apple pomace, where both sexes come to feed), smaller males will redirect their searching for females from dung to the new substrate. In addition, we identify a class of particularly small males on the alternative substrate that appears never to be present searching for females on or around dung. Smaller males were found to have a mating 'advantage' on pomace, in striking contrast to the pattern observed on dung, providing further support for the existence of an alternative male reproductive tactic in this species.

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“…Therefore, we suggest that generating empirical measurements of male parameters might be more important than measuring these for the females. Although our model was specifically developed to simulate a specific taxon, the results are likely to be more widely applicable as pre-mating struggles in insects are common (Thornhill, 1980;Dennis et al, 1986;Otronen, 1989;Arnqvist, 1992;Crean & Gilburn, 1998;Blanckenhorn et al, 2000;Eberhard, 2002;Takami, 2002;Miller, 2003;Teder, 2005;Puniamoorthy et al, 2008), and body size often aids both persistence and resistance (Arnqvist et al, 1996;Crean & Gilburn, 1998;Blanckenhorn et al, 2000Blanckenhorn et al, , 2008Teder, 2005). Studies of the effects of male size on mount rate do not seem to have been carried out in the other systems so it is unclear whether a negative correlation between mount rate and size is a common feature of insects that display pre-mating struggles.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One characteristic that often affects both persistence and resistance during pre‐copulatory struggles in insects is body size (Arnqvist et al. , 1996; Crean & Gilburn, 1998; Blanckenhorn et al. , 2000, 2008; Teder, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sexual conflict over whether or not mating occurs is common in insects (Thornhill, 1980;Dennis et al, 1986;Otronen, 1989;Arnqvist, 1992;Crean & Gilburn, 1998;Blanckenhorn et al, 2000;Eberhard, 2002;Takami, 2002;Miller, 2003;Teder, 2005;Puniamoorthy et al, 2008). One characteristic that often affects both persistence and resistance during pre-copulatory struggles in insects is body size (Arnqvist et al, 1996;Crean & Gilburn, 1998;Blanckenhorn et al, 2000Blanckenhorn et al, , 2008Teder, 2005). A shift in mean body size will also affect many other fitness traits.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sexually antagonistic co‐evolution: a model and an empirical test

Hoyle

Gilburn

2009

J of Evolutionary Biology

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Models reveal that sexually antagonistic co-evolution exaggerates female resistance and male persistence traits. Here we adapt an established model by including directional sexual selection acting against persistence. We find similar equilibria to previous models showing that sexually antagonistic co-evolution can be limited by counteracting sexual, as well as, natural selection. We tested the model using empirical data for the seaweed fly, Coelopa ursina, in which body size acts as a persistence and a resistance trait. Our model can generate continuous co-evolutionary cycles and stable equilibria, however, all simulations using empirically derived parameter estimates reach stable equilibria. Thus, stable equilibria might be more common in nature than continuous co-evolutionary cycles, suggesting that sexual conflict is unlikely to promote speciation. The model predicts male biased sexual size dimorphism for C. ursina, comparable with empirically observed values. Male persistence is shown to be more sensitive than female resistance to changes in model parameters

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Size‐Dependent Mating Success at Various Nutritional States in the Yellow Dung Fly

Cited by 12 publications

References 40 publications

Alternative mating tactics in the yellow dung fly: resolving mechanisms of small-male advantage off pasture

Alternative mating tactics in the yellow dung fly: resolving mechanisms of small-male advantage off pasture

Size-dependent alternative male mating tactics in the yellow dung fly, Scathophaga stercoraria

Sexually antagonistic co‐evolution: a model and an empirical test

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