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Willink B, Tunström K, Nilén S, Chikhi R, Lemane T, Takahashi M, Takahashi Y, Svensson EI, Wheat CW. The genomics and evolution of inter-sexual mimicry and female-limited polymorphisms in damselflies. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:83-97. [PMID: 37932383 PMCID: PMC10781644 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02243-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Sex-limited morphs can provide profound insights into the evolution and genomic architecture of complex phenotypes. Inter-sexual mimicry is one particular type of sex-limited polymorphism in which a novel morph resembles the opposite sex. While inter-sexual mimics are known in both sexes and a diverse range of animals, their evolutionary origin is poorly understood. Here, we investigated the genomic basis of female-limited morphs and male mimicry in the common bluetail damselfly. Differential gene expression between morphs has been documented in damselflies, but no causal locus has been previously identified. We found that male mimicry originated in an ancestrally sexually dimorphic lineage in association with multiple structural changes, probably driven by transposable element activity. These changes resulted in ~900 kb of novel genomic content that is partly shared by male mimics in a close relative, indicating that male mimicry is a trans-species polymorphism. More recently, a third morph originated following the translocation of part of the male-mimicry sequence into a genomic position ~3.5 mb apart. We provide evidence of balancing selection maintaining male mimicry, in line with previous field population studies. Our results underscore how structural variants affecting a handful of potentially regulatory genes and morph-specific genes can give rise to novel and complex phenotypic polymorphisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Willink
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Kalle Tunström
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sofie Nilén
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Rayan Chikhi
- Sequence Bioinformatics, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Téo Lemane
- University of Rennes, Inria, CNRS, IRISA, Rennes, France
| | - Michihiko Takahashi
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yuma Takahashi
- Graduate School of Science, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
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2
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Dougherty LR. The effect of individual state on the strength of mate choice in females and males. Behav Ecol 2023; 34:197-209. [PMID: 36998999 PMCID: PMC10047626 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arac100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals are thought to gain significant fitness benefits from choosing high-quality or compatible mates. However, there is large within-species variation in how choosy individuals are during mating. This may be because the costs and benefits of being choosy vary according to an individual's state. To test this, I systematically searched for published data relating the strength of animal mate choice in both sexes to individual age, attractiveness, body size, physical condition, mating status, and parasite load. I performed a meta-analysis of 108 studies and 78 animal species to quantify how the strength of mate choice varies according to individual state. In line with the predictions of sexual selection theory, I find that females are significantly choosier when they are large and have a low parasite load, thus supporting the premise that the expression of female mate choice is dependent on the costs and benefits of being choosy. However, female choice was not influenced by female age, attractiveness, physical condition, or mating status. Attractive males were significantly choosier than unattractive males, but male mate choice was not influenced by male age, body size, physical condition, mating status, or parasite load. However, this dataset was limited by a small sample size, and the overall correlation between individual state and the strength of mate choice was similar for both sexes. Nevertheless, in both males and females individual state explained only a small amount of variation in the strength of mate choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam R Dougherty
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7RB, UK
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3
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Piersanti S, Salerno G, Di Pietro V, Giontella L, Rebora M, Jones A, Fincke OM. Tests of search image and learning in the wild: Insights from sexual conflict in damselflies. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:4399-4412. [PMID: 33976818 PMCID: PMC8093675 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Search image formation, a proximal mechanism to maintain genetic polymorphisms by negative frequency-dependent selection, has rarely been tested under natural conditions. Females of many nonterritorial damselflies resemble either conspecific males or background vegetation. Mate-searching males are assumed to form search images of the majority female type, sexually harassing it at rates higher than expected from its frequency, thus selectively favoring the less common morph. We tested this and how morph coloration and behavior influenced male perception and intersexual encounters by following marked Ischnura elegans and noting their reactions to conspecifics. Contrary to search image formation and associative learning hypotheses, although males encountered the minority, male-like morph more often, sexual harassment and clutch size were similar for both morphs. Prior mating attempts or copula with morphs did not affect a male's subsequent reaction to them; males rarely attempted matings with immature females or males. Females mated early in the day, reducing the opportunity for males to learn their identity beforehand. Once encountered, the male-like morph was more readily noticed by males than the alternative morph, which once noticed was more likely to receive mating attempts. Flexible behavior gave morphs considerable control over their apparency to males, influencing intersexual encounters. Results suggested a more subtle proximal mechanism than male learning maintains these color polymorphisms and call for inferences of learning to be validated by behavior of wild receivers and their signalers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvana Piersanti
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia, e BiotecnologieUniversity of PerugiaPerugiaItaly
| | - Gianandrea Salerno
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e AmbientaliUniversity of PerugiaPerugiaItaly
| | - Viviana Di Pietro
- Department of Life Science and SystemticsUniversity of TorinoTorinoItaly
| | - Leonardo Giontella
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia, e BiotecnologieUniversity of PerugiaPerugiaItaly
| | - Manuela Rebora
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia, e BiotecnologieUniversity of PerugiaPerugiaItaly
| | - Albyn Jones
- Department of MathematicsReed CollegePortlandORUSA
| | - Ola M. Fincke
- Department of BiologyUniversity of OklahomaNormanOKUSA
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4
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Khan MK. Female prereproductive coloration reduces mating harassment in damselflies. Evolution 2020; 74:2293-2303. [PMID: 32573766 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Conspicuous female coloration can evolve through male mate choice or via female-female competition thereby increasing female mating success. However, when mating is not beneficial, such as in pre-reproductive females, selection should favor cryptic rather than conspicuous coloration to avoid male detection and the associated harassment. Nevertheless, conspicuous female coloration occurs in many prereproductive animals, and its evolution remains an enigma. Here, I studied conspicuous female coloration in Agriocnemis femina damselflies, in which the conspicuous red color of the immature females changes to a less conspicuous green approximately a week after their emergence. I measured body size, weight, and egg numbers of the female morphs and found that red females are smaller and lighter and do not carry developed eggs. Finally, I calculated the occurrence frequency and mating frequency of red and green females in several populations over a three-year period. The results demonstrate that red females mated less frequently than green females even when red females were the abundant morph in the populations. I concluded that conspicuous female coloration is likely to function as a warning signal of sexual unprofitability, thereby reducing sexual harassment for females and unprofitable mating for males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Kawsar Khan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, 3114, Bangladesh
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5
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Willink B, Duryea MC, Svensson EI. Macroevolutionary Origin and Adaptive Function of a Polymorphic Female Signal Involved in Sexual Conflict. Am Nat 2019; 194:707-724. [DOI: 10.1086/705294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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6
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Khan MK, Herberstein ME. Ontogenetic colour change signals sexual maturity in a non‐territorial damselfly. Ethology 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Md Kawsar Khan
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Marie E. Herberstein
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University Sydney New South Wales Australia
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7
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Dion E, Monteiro A, Nieberding CM. The Role of Learning on Insect and Spider Sexual Behaviors, Sexual Trait Evolution, and Speciation. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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8
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Cabezas Castillo MB, Grether GF. Why are female color polymorphisms rare in territorial damselflies? Ethology 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Gregory F. Grether
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Los Angeles Los Angeles California
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9
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Mobley KB, Morrongiello JR, Warr M, Bray DJ, Wong BBM. Female ornamentation and the fecundity trade-off in a sex-role reversed pipefish. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:9516-9525. [PMID: 30377519 PMCID: PMC6194251 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Revised: 07/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual ornaments found only in females are a rare occurrence in nature. One explanation for this is that female ornaments are costly to produce and maintain and, therefore, females must trade-off resources related to reproduction to promote ornament expression. Here, we investigate whether a trade-off exists between female ornamentation and fecundity in the sex-role reversed, wide-bodied pipefish, Stigmatopora nigra. We measured two components of the disk-shaped, ventral-striped female ornament, body width, and stripe thickness. After controlling for the influence of body size, we found no evidence of a cost of belly width or stripe thickness on female fecundity. Rather, females that have larger ornaments have higher fecundity and thus accurately advertise their reproductive value to males without incurring a cost to fecundity. We also investigated the relationship between female body size and egg size and found that larger females suffer a slight decrease in egg size and fecundity, although this decrease was independent of female ornamentation. More broadly, considered in light of similar findings in other taxa, lack of an apparent fecundity cost of ornamentation in female pipefish underscores the need to revisit theoretical assumptions concerning the evolution of female ornamentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenyon B. Mobley
- Department of Evolutionary EcologyMax Planck Institute for Evolutionary BiologyPlönGermany
| | | | - Matthew Warr
- School of Biological SciencesMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Dianne J. Bray
- Vertebrate ZoologyMuseum VictoriaMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Bob B. M. Wong
- School of Biological SciencesMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
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10
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Fitzpatrick CL, Servedio MR. The evolution of male mate choice and female ornamentation: a review of mathematical models. Curr Zool 2018; 64:323-333. [PMID: 30402075 PMCID: PMC6007321 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoy029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolution of male preferences and of female ornaments in species with traditional sex roles (i.e., polygyny) have been highlighted as areas in need of more active research by an accumulation of recent findings. The theoretical literature on these topics is relatively small and has centered on the evolution of male choice. Mathematical models have emphasized that, under polygyny, the evolution of male preferences faces much greater competition costs than does the evolution of female preferences. We discuss ways in which costly male choice can nonetheless evolve, via (1) direct selection that favors preferences, primarily through mating with highly fecund females, (2) mechanisms that rely on indirect selection, which weakly counters competitive costs of male preferences, and (3) genetic constraints, primarily in the form of pleiotropy of male and female preferences and traits. We also review a variety of mathematical models that have elucidated how costs to male preferences can be avoided. Finally, we turn our attention to the relatively scant theoretical literature on the effects of male mate choice on the evolution of female traits. We emphasize the finding that the presence of male preferences cannot be assumed to lead to the evolution of female ornaments during polygyny, and point out situations where models have elucidated ways in which female ornaments can nevertheless evolve.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maria R Servedio
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27516, USA
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11
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Male Psyllids Differentially Learn in the Context of Copulation. INSECTS 2017; 8:insects8010016. [PMID: 28178203 PMCID: PMC5371944 DOI: 10.3390/insects8010016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Revised: 01/12/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, stimulatory cuticular hydrocarbons act as sex pheromone attractants. Male psyllids locate aggregations of females using those olfactory cues, as well as vibrational communication on the plant surface. Although previous research has indicated that learning plays a role in modulating female reproductive behaviors in psyllids, it is unknown whether males similarly use learning to increase the likelihood of copulatory success. We used an olfactometer-based bio-assay to study the effects of experience on male response to female odor. First, we compared male attraction to female odor in virgin and previously mated males. Second, we tested the effect of several modes of experience with a novel odor, vanillin, to determine whether mating, feeding, or general environmental exposure elicited a learned response. We found that male attraction to female odor significantly increased after mating experience. In addition, we found that males learn about odor specifically in the context of mating, rather than feeding or general exposure. Electrophysiological measurements of antennal response to odorants confirmed that mating status did not affect the sensitivity of the peripheral nervous system to volatile stimuli implicating learning at the level of the central nervous system. These results suggest that male response to female odor is not an entirely innate behavior. Males may require mating experience with female conspecifics to develop attraction to those olfactory cues produced by the female and in association with the female’s habitat. This adaptive plasticity may allow males to detect females in an ever-changing environment and promote diversification and further specialization on different host genotypes.
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12
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Fitzpatrick CL, Servedio MR. Male mate choice, male quality, and the potential for sexual selection on female traits under polygyny. Evolution 2016; 71:174-183. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2015] [Accepted: 10/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Courtney L. Fitzpatrick
- National Evolutionary Synthesis Center Chapel Hill North Carolina 27599
- Duke University, Biology Department Durham North Carolina 27708
- University of North Carolina‐Chapel Hill, Biology Department Chapel Hill North Carolina 27599
| | - Maria R. Servedio
- University of North Carolina‐Chapel Hill, Biology Department Chapel Hill North Carolina 27599
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13
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Fitzpatrick CL. Expanding Sexual Selection Gradients; A Synthetic Refinement of Sexual Selection Theory. Ethology 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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14
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15
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Myers SS, Buckley TR, Holwell GI. Mate detection and seasonal variation in stick insect mating behaviour (Phamatodea: Clitarchus hookeri). BEHAVIOUR 2015. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
For animals that exhibit a scramble competition mating system, sexual selection pressures on mate searching ability are expected to be strong. Scramble competition mating systems evolve when populations provide females with equal accessibility to all male competitors, yet sex ratio and population density influences mating systems and varies seasonally. The stick insect species,Clitarchus hookeri, is frequently found in copula, yet very little is known about it’s mating behaviour. We preformed behavioural tests and assayed antennal sensory morphology to determine whether males used chemosensory cues to detect females. Through natural field observations we found populations to be significantly male-biased earlier in the season, while later, populations began to display equal sex ratios. With increasing female availability mating pair proportions steadily increased, while copulation duration declined. These results supportC. hookerias a scramble competitor, and demonstrate males may alter their behaviour in response to the seasonal variation in female density.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelley S. Myers
- Landcare Research, Private Bag 92170, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
- The School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
- Allan Wilson Centre, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Thomas R. Buckley
- Landcare Research, Private Bag 92170, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
- The School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
- Allan Wilson Centre, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Gregory I. Holwell
- The School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
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16
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Gillespie SR, Scarlett Tudor M, Moore AJ, Miller CW. Sexual selection is influenced by both developmental and adult environments. Evolution 2014; 68:3421-32. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.12526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2012] [Accepted: 09/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie R. Gillespie
- Entomology and Nematology Department; University of Florida; P.O. Box 110620 Gainesville Florida 32611
- Current Address: Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1022 New York New York 10029
| | - M. Scarlett Tudor
- Department of Biology; University of Florida; P.O. Box 118525 Gainesville Florida 32611
- Current Address: Cooperative Extension, 5735 Hitchner Hall; University of Maine; Orono Maine 04469
| | - Allen J. Moore
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation; School of Biosciences; University of Exeter; Penryn TR11 9EZ United Kingdom
- Department of Genetics; University of Georgia; Athens Georgia 30602
| | - Christine W. Miller
- Entomology and Nematology Department; University of Florida; P.O. Box 110620 Gainesville Florida 32611
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17
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Mishra G, Omkar. Phenotype-dependent mate choice in Propylea dissecta and its fitness consequences. J ETHOL 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-014-0405-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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18
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Huang SC, Chiou TH, Marshall J, Reinhard J. Spectral sensitivities and color signals in a polymorphic damselfly. PLoS One 2014; 9:e87972. [PMID: 24498233 PMCID: PMC3909319 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0087972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2013] [Accepted: 01/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal communication relies on conspicuous signals and compatible signal perception abilities. Good signal perception abilities are particularly important for polymorphic animals where mate choice can be a challenge. Behavioral studies suggest that polymorphic damselflies use their varying body colorations and/or color patterns as communication signal for mate choice and to control mating frequencies. However, solid evidence for this hypothesis combining physiological with spectral and behavioral data is scarce. We investigated this question in the Australian common blue tail damselfly, Ischnura heterosticta, which has pronounced female-limited polymorphism: andromorphs have a male-like blue coloration and gynomorphs display green/grey colors. We measured body color reflectance and investigated the visual capacities of each morph, showing that I. heterosticta have at least three types of photoreceptors sensitive to UV, blue, and green wavelength, and that this visual perception ability enables them to detect the spectral properties of the color signals emitted from the various color morphs in both males and females. We further demonstrate that different color morphs can be discriminated against each other and the vegetation based on color contrast. Finally, these findings were supported by field observations of natural mating pairs showing that mating partners are indeed chosen based on their body coloration. Our study provides the first comprehensive evidence for the function of body coloration on mate choice in polymorphic damselflies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shao-chang Huang
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Tsyr-huei Chiou
- Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Justin Marshall
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Judith Reinhard
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
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Abstract
Sexual selection has resulted in some of the most captivating features of insects, including flashy colors, bizarre structures, and complex pheromones. These features evolve in dynamic environments, where conditions can change rapidly over space and time. However, only recently has ecological complexity been embraced by theory and practice in sexual selection. We review replicated selection studies as well as studies on variation in the agents of selection to delineate gaps in current knowledge and clarify exciting new directions for research. Existing work suggests that fluctuations in sexual selection may be extremely common, though work on the ecological factors influencing these fluctuations is scarce. We suggest that deeper ecological perspectives on sexual selection may alter some of the fundamental assumptions of sexual selection theory and rapidly lead to new discoveries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine W Miller
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611;
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20
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Sánchez-Guillén RA, Hammers M, Hansson B, Van Gossum H, Cordero-Rivera A, Galicia Mendoza DI, Wellenreuther M. Ontogenetic shifts in male mating preference and morph-specific polyandry in a female colour polymorphic insect. BMC Evol Biol 2013; 13:116. [PMID: 23742182 PMCID: PMC3691580 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-13-116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2012] [Accepted: 05/28/2013] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Sexual 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. Results Field 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. Conclusions The 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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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Ana Sánchez-Guillén
- Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía animal, Grupo de Ecoloxía Evolutiva e da Conservación, Universidade de Vigo EUET Forestal, Campus de Pontevedra, Pontevedra 36005, Spain.
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21
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Huang SC, Reinhard J. Color Change from male-mimic to Gynomorphic: a New Aspect of Signaling Sexual Status in Damselflies (Odonata, Zygoptera). Behav Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ars112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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22
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Takahashi Y, Morimoto G, Watanabe M. Ontogenetic colour change in females as a function of antiharassment strategy. Anim Behav 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.06.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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23
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Sánchez-Guillén RA, Martínez-Zamilpa SMJ, Jiménez-Cortés JG, Forbes MRL, Córdoba-Aguilar A. Maintenance of polymorphic females: do parasites play a role? Oecologia 2012; 171:105-13. [PMID: 22710614 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-012-2388-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2011] [Accepted: 05/24/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The role of parasites in explaining maintenance of polymorphism is an unexplored research avenue. In odonates, female-limited color polymorphism (one female morph mimicking the conspecific male and one or more gynochromatic morphs) is widespread. Here we investigated whether parasitism contributes to color polymorphism maintenance by studying six species of female dimorphic damselflies using large databases of field-collected animals. We predicted that androchrome females (male mimics) would be more intensively parasitized than gynochrome females which is, according to previous studies, counterbalanced by the advantages of the former when evading male harassment compared to gynochrome females. Here we show that in Ischnura denticollis and Enallagma novahispaniae, androchrome females suffer from a higher degree of parasitism than gynochromatic females, and contrary to prediction, than males. Thus, our study has detected a correlation between color polymorphism and parasitic burden in odonates. This leads us to hypothesize that natural selection, via parasite pressure, can explain in part how androchrome and gynochrome female color morphs can be maintained. Both morphs may cope with parasites in a different way: given that androchrome females are more heavily parasitized, they may pay a higher fecundity costs, in comparison to gynochrome females.
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Affiliation(s)
- R A Sánchez-Guillén
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, México, DF, Mexico.
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