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Cueva Del Castillo R, Elias-Quevedo A, Medrano JV, Ruíz-Flores A, Flores-Ortiz CM. Potential strategic allocation of nuptial gift proteins of the neotropical katydid Conocephalus ictus (Orthoptera Tettigoniidae). JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 154:104633. [PMID: 38554814 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104633] [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: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
In many katydids, the male feeds his mate with a large gelatinous spermatophore. While providing large spermatophores can increase female fecundity and lifespan, it may also decrease their sexual receptivity, benefiting male fitness. Allocating resources to these edible gifts may entail a lower apportionment of them to other functions, generating a trade-off between somatic and reproductive functions. Despite their effect on male and female fitness, little is known of the compounds associated with katydid spermatophores. Our study found 177 different putative proteins in the spermatophore of Conocephalus ictus, with no correlation between male body size with spermatophore mass, number, concentration and mass of proteins. However, we did observe a negative relationship between male forewing length and protein concentration, and a negative relationship between the mass of the spermatophore transferred to the females and their body size, suggesting a resource allocation trade-off in males, but also strategic transference of resources based on female quality.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anahi Elias-Quevedo
- UBIPRO, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, A.P. 314, Tlalnepantla 54090. Mexico
| | | | - Anabel Ruíz-Flores
- UBIPRO, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, A.P. 314, Tlalnepantla 54090. Mexico
| | - César M Flores-Ortiz
- UBIPRO, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, A.P. 314, Tlalnepantla 54090. Mexico
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2
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Robertson DN, Sullivan TJ, Westerman EL. Lack of sibling avoidance during mate selection in the butterfly Bicyclus anynana. Behav Processes 2020; 173:104062. [PMID: 31981681 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104062] [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: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Species susceptible to inbreeding depression are hypothesized to combat this problem through a number of different mechanisms, including kin recognition. For species with kin recognition, it is unknown if filial recognition is innate or due to prior juvenile experience with siblings. Here, we first test for the presence of kin recognition, and then test these two hypotheses for the development of filial recognition, in the butterfly Bicyclus anynana, a species that suffers from inbreeding depression when forcibly inbred but recovers within a few generations when allowed to breed freely. We evaluate whether the rapid recovery from inbreeding depression is associated with either innate or learned filial recognition. First, we determined whether females innately prefer unrelated males over sibling males using females reared in isolation and then given a choice between an unrelated and a sibling male. Then, we determined if females raised with siblings learned to detect and avoid mating with siblings as adults when provided a choice between an unrelated male and a sibling male. Finally, we determined if females raised with siblings could learn to detect and avoid mating with familiar siblings when given a choice between familiar and unfamiliar siblings. We found that females mated randomly in all three choice combinations. Observed male behavior also did not influence female mating outcome. Our results suggest that adult females do not innately avoid or learn to avoid siblings during mate selection, and that filial detection may not be as critical to reproductive fitness in B. anynana as previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deonna N Robertson
- University of Arkansas, Fayetteville 850 W. Dickson St. Fayetteville 72701 USA
| | - Timothy J Sullivan
- University of Arkansas, Fayetteville 850 W. Dickson St. Fayetteville 72701 USA; Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute, 417 Main Street, Gloucester, MA 01930 USA
| | - Erica L Westerman
- University of Arkansas, Fayetteville 850 W. Dickson St. Fayetteville 72701 USA.
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3
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Geiger R, Beaulieu M, Franke K, Fischer K. High male density favors maintenance over reproduction in a butterfly. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rina Geiger
- Zoological Institute and Museum, Greifswald University, Loitzer Straße, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Michaël Beaulieu
- Zoological Institute and Museum, Greifswald University, Loitzer Straße, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Kristin Franke
- Zoological Institute and Museum, Greifswald University, Loitzer Straße, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Klaus Fischer
- Zoological Institute and Museum, Greifswald University, Loitzer Straße, Greifswald, Germany
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Fischer K, Karl I, Dublon IAN, Kehl T. A reply to Nieberding and Holveck: beyond experimental design and proximate mechanisms - mate choice in the face of sexual conflict. Front Zool 2018; 15:19. [PMID: 29719562 PMCID: PMC5921974 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-017-0242-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
We summarise our work on male mating behaviour in the tropical butterfly Bicyclus anynana, responding to the commentary provided by Nieberding and Holveck. We acknowledge that our laboratory studies are not free of shortcomings and potential caveats, though we attempted to address or highlight these within each paper. The concerns raised seem to stem mainly from different notions with respect to the proximate basis of old male mating advantage, and specifically the relative importance of male behaviour versus pheromone blend. In our view, our experiments provided compelling evidence for a prominent role of male behaviour, while we were unable to obtain clear evidence for a major role of male sexual pheromones. In addition to the lack of evidence we argue that a preference of females for older males based on pheromone blend is unlikely, as pheromone titres do not seem to indicate male quality and, more importantly, females actually suffer a fitness cost when mating with older males. The latter suggests that old male mating advantage arises from sexual conflict rather than cooperation. We thus highlight the importance of considering both the proximate and the ultimate level for gaining an integrative understanding of complex behavioural patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaus Fischer
- 1Zoological Institute and Museum, Greifswald University, Loitzer Straße 26, D-17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Isabell Karl
- 1Zoological Institute and Museum, Greifswald University, Loitzer Straße 26, D-17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Ian A N Dublon
- 2Infrastrukturavdelningen, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Slottsvägen 1, P.O. Box 19, SE-230 53 Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Tobias Kehl
- 1Zoological Institute and Museum, Greifswald University, Loitzer Straße 26, D-17489 Greifswald, Germany
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Duplouy A, Woestmann L, Gallego Zamorano J, Saastamoinen M. Impact of male condition on his spermatophore and consequences for female reproductive performance in the Glanville fritillary butterfly. INSECT SCIENCE 2018; 25:284-296. [PMID: 27882649 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2016] [Revised: 09/20/2016] [Accepted: 10/17/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In butterflies, male reproductive success is highly related to the quality and the size of the spermatophore transferred to the female. The spermatophore is a capsule produced by the male during copulation, which in many species contains sperm in addition to a nuptial gift, and which is digested by the female after copulation. The nuptial gift may contribute to egg production and offspring quality, and in some cases also to female body maintenance. The production of the spermatophore, however, represents a cost for the male and, in polyandrous species, ejaculates are sometimes allocated adaptively across matings. Nonetheless, although the ecological factors affecting the reproductive success of female butterflies have been the topic of numerous studies, little information exists on the factors affecting males' contribution to reproduction, and the indirect impacts on female fecundity and fitness. We used the Glanville fritillary butterfly, Melitaea cinxia (Linnaeus, 1758) (Nymphalidae), in order to assess variation in male allocation to matings. In this species, smaller males produce smaller spermatophores, but variation in spermatophore size is not correlated with female reproductive success. We show that spermatophore size increases with male age at first mating, decreases with mating frequency and adult food-deprivation, and is not influenced by developmental food-limitation. The length of copulation period does not influence the spermatophore size nor influences the polyandrous mating behavior in this species. Male contribution to his spermatophore size is clearly influenced by his condition and adult-resource at the time of mating. Despite this variation, spermatophore size does not seem to have a direct impact on female reproductive output or mating behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Duplouy
- Metapopulation Research Centre, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Luisa Woestmann
- Metapopulation Research Centre, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Juan Gallego Zamorano
- Czech University of Life Science, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Department of Ecology, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Marjo Saastamoinen
- Metapopulation Research Centre, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Jiang X, Zhao Y, Yan Q, Li C, Jiang Q, Yun Y, Peng Y. Effects of age on the courtship, copulation, and fecundity of Pardosa pseudoannulata (Araneae: Lycosidae). Behav Processes 2017; 146:10-15. [PMID: 29108930 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2017] [Revised: 10/21/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
According to sexual selection theory, age affects the preference of mate choice, and this preference ultimately influences the fecundity of the female. Pardosa pseudoannulata (Araneae: Lycosidae) is a valued predator in many cropping systems. By determining oviposition rate, egg hatching rate, and also the number and carapace width of the 2nd instar spiderlings of the F1 generation, we explored the effects of age on fecundity of the female spider. There were no significant effects of age on courtship duration, sexual cannibalism rate, mating rate, oviposition rate, egg hatching rate, or the number and carapace width of 2nd instar spiderings of P. pseudoannulata. However, age had a significant effect on courtship latency, courtship intensity, and mating duration of the spider. Courtship latency decreased significantly with an increase in the age of the male, and courtship intensity of the low-age male increased with increasing female age. Increasing age of male and female spiders was associated with significantly prolonged mating duration. The results indicated that low-age male spiders were more inclined to mate with high-age females, and age had no significant effect on sexual cannibalism rate or the fecundity of the female.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Jiang
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, PR China
| | - Yao Zhao
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, PR China
| | - Qian Yan
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, PR China
| | - Changchun Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Quality Control of Characteristic Fruits and Vegetables, Hubei Engineering University, Xiaogan 432000, PR China
| | - Qinghong Jiang
- Shangcheng Inspection Station for Agricultural Products Quality and Safety, Henan 465300, PR China
| | - Yueli Yun
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, PR China
| | - Yu Peng
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, PR China.
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Woestmann L, Saastamoinen M. The importance of trans-generational effects in Lepidoptera. Curr Zool 2016; 62:489-499. [PMID: 29491938 PMCID: PMC5804281 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2015] [Accepted: 02/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The importance of trans-generational effects in shaping an individuals’ phenotype and fitness, and consequently even impacting population dynamics is increasingly apparent. Most of the research on trans-generational effects still focuses on plants, mammals, and birds. In the past few years, however, increasing number of studies, especially on maternal effects, have highlighted their importance also in many insect systems. Lepidoptera, specifically butterflies, have been used as model systems for studying the role of phenotypic plasticity within generations. As ectotherms, they are highly sensitive to environmental variation, and indeed many butterflies show adaptive phenotypic plasticity in response to environmental conditions. Here, we synthesize what is known about trans-generational effects in Lepidoptera, compile evidence for different environmental cues that are important drivers of trans-generational effects, and point out which offspring traits are mainly impacted. Finally, we emphasize directions for future research that are needed for better understanding of the adaptive nature of trans-generational effects in Lepidoptera in particular, but potentially also in other organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Woestmann
- Metapopulation Research Centre, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Marjo Saastamoinen
- Metapopulation Research Centre, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Finland
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Kehl T, Dublon IAN, Fischer K. Young male mating success is associated with sperm number but not with male sex pheromone titres. Front Zool 2015; 12:31. [PMID: 26557870 PMCID: PMC4640362 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-015-0124-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2015] [Accepted: 10/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Intraspecific communication is of crucial importance throughout the animal kingdom and may involve a combination of visual, gustatory, olfactory and acoustic cues. Variation in male sex pheromone amount and composition may convey important information to female conspecifics, for instance on species identity or age. However, whether increased male pheromone titres are associated with fitness benefits for the female, thus indicating a role as an honest signal, is under debate. Results Against this background, we tested in the butterfly Bicyclus anynana (1) whether young males being successful or unsuccessful in gaining a mating differed in sex pheromone titres and (2) for associations between male pheromone titres and spermatophore mass, eupyrene sperm number, and a variety of female and offspring life-history traits. Successful and unsuccessful males did not differ in pheromone titres, however eupyrene sperm number was much higher in successful males. Pheromone titres were not associated with any fitness-related female or offspring trait measured in our study, though correlation analyses yielded evidence for trade-offs among specific traits. Patterns did not differ among control and olfaction-blocked females. Conclusion Therefore, we suggest that in young B. anynana pheromone titres do not indicate male quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Kehl
- Zoological Institute & Museum, Greifswald University, Johann-Sebastian-Bach Str. 11/12, Greifswald, 17489 Germany
| | - Ian A N Dublon
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group, Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), Croix du Sud 4, Louvain-la-Neuve, 1348 Belgium
| | - Klaus Fischer
- Zoological Institute & Museum, Greifswald University, Johann-Sebastian-Bach Str. 11/12, Greifswald, 17489 Germany
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