Sperm competition selects for male mate choice and protandry in the bushcricket, Requena verticalis (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae)

Simmons, Leigh W.; Llorens, Tanya M.; Schinzig, M.; Hosken, David J.; Craig, Michael

doi:10.1006/anbe.1994.1013

Cited by 80 publications

(62 citation statements)

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“…There are some different factors, however, contributing to sperm competition outcomes such as sperm mortality, the degree of sperm mixing and sperm selection by females (PARKER & PIZZARI 2010). Although we did not test whether females and males can discriminate virginity in mating choice, existing studies with some insects (see SIMMONS et al 1994) and bushcrickets (WEDELL 1992(WEDELL , 1998 show that males can discriminate virgin from nonvirgin partners. Females of both Poecilimon laevissimus and Ephippiger ephippiger can distinguish virgin and younger males (WEDELL & RITCHIE 2004;, and older virgin males produce more sperm than younger ones in bushcricket Phonochorion uvarovi (H. ÖNAL, H. SEVGILI unpub.).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Spermatophore allocation strategy over successive matings in the bushcricketIsophya sikorai(Orthoptera Phaneropterinae)

Uma

Sevgili

2014

Ethology Ecology & Evolution

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During mating, male bushcrickets transfer edible spermatophores that consist of a large sperm-free spermatophylax and a sperm-containing ampulla. The effect of consecutive matings on nuptial gift and sperm numbers in the bushcricket Isophya sikorai was examined. Males and females differed in body weight and mating history influenced their weight. Males differed in spermatophore weight, as well as the weights of spermatophylax and ampulla. Spermatophore (spermatophylax + ampulla) and spermatophylax weight of I. sikorai increased with male body weight, but not with ampulla weight. Male age had a significant effect on sperm number, with older males producing more sperm. Female weight but not mating number of female had a significant effect on spermatophore weight. Males increased the size of the spermatophylax and sperm number when presented with larger females, but they did not adjust their ampulla weight. Male age affected spermatophylax weight when mating with heavier females. Males reached their maximal absolute sperm number point at about middle age of their mating period due to an age-dependent shift in covariation between the ampulla and spermatophylax weight and ampulla size increases over a longer period. We conclude that production of a spermatophore and its components is costly, therefore males should strategically adjust their spermatophore components among mating opportunities. Female quality is an important predictor in searching males, and those males transfer significantly larger spermatophore and ejaculates to higher quality (heavier) females. Briefly, this study suggest that male I. sikorai strategically allocate spermatophore size and sperm number with respect to various factors such as his age, sperm competition and female size in a multiple mating system.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Spermatophore allocation strategy over successive matings in the bushcricketIsophya sikorai(Orthoptera Phaneropterinae)

Uma

Sevgili

2014

Ethology Ecology & Evolution

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“…Studies with butterflies, fruit flies, weevils, grasshoppers (see Simmons et al 1994 and references cited therein), and at least two bushcrickets (Wedell 1992, Wedell 1998 all show that males distinguish virgin from nonvirgin partners, apparently because of their greater fecundity and associated increased certainty of paternity; there is no evidence at this stage to indicate that this may be otherwise in P. laevissimus.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microsatellite Analysis of Sperm-Use Patterns in the Bushcricket Requena Verticalis

Simmons

Achmann

2000

Evolution

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.— The proportion of offspring sired by the second male to mate with a doubly mated female, P2, is a ubiquitously measured statistic in the study of insect sperm competition. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms of sperm transfer, storage, and use that determine P2 are poorly understood. Typically the second male to mate gains moderate to high paternity. More rarely, the first male to mate gains the majority of fertilizations. Here we examine the transfer, storage, and use of sperm in the bushcricket Requena verticalis, a species with male parental investment and almost complete first male paternity. Sperm drain from an externally attached spermatophore into the female's reproductive tract, where they are transported to the sperm store or spermatheca. We find that only sperm from the first male to mate are transported to the spermatheca. We provide some data that address a number of different mechanisms that might account for the lack of storage of second‐male sperm. DNA microsatellite markers are developed to assign paternity. By manipulating the numbers of sperm transferred by first and second males, we show that the size of the ejaculate transferred by the first male has a major impact on paternity; increasing ejaculate size of the first male assures his paternity. Paternity assurance in R. verticalis holds significant implications for the evolution of paternal investment via the male's nuptial gift.

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“…Male inability to assess female mating status therefore appears unlikely as an explanation for these results. One might expect males to prefer virgin females and initiate matings sooner with them, because, as a result of sperm competition, the reproductive value of copulating with mated females will on average be less than the value of mating with nonmated females (Simmons et al 1994;Bonduriansky 2001). In contrast, as mated females are less likely to remain for long in courtship, males could also be expected to initiate copulations quickly to take advantage of the mating opportunity before courtship is interrupted by the female.…”

Section: Influence Of Female Mating Statusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Should I stay or should I go? Condition- and status-dependent courtship decisions in the scorpionfly Panorpa cognata

Engqvist

2009

Animal Behaviour

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Sperm competition selects for male mate choice and protandry in the bushcricket, Requena verticalis (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae)

Cited by 80 publications

References 0 publications

Spermatophore allocation strategy over successive matings in the bushcricketIsophya sikorai(Orthoptera Phaneropterinae)

Spermatophore allocation strategy over successive matings in the bushcricketIsophya sikorai(Orthoptera Phaneropterinae)

Microsatellite Analysis of Sperm-Use Patterns in the Bushcricket Requena Verticalis

Should I stay or should I go? Condition- and status-dependent courtship decisions in the scorpionfly Panorpa cognata

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