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Cordero-Molina S, Fetter-Pruneda I, Contreras-Garduño J. Neural mechanisms involved in female mate choice in invertebrates. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 14:1291635. [PMID: 38269245 PMCID: PMC10807292 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1291635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Mate choice is a critical decision with direct implications for fitness. Although it has been recognized for over 150 years, our understanding of its underlying mechanisms is still limited. Most studies on mate choice focus on the evolutionary causes of behavior, with less attention given to the physiological and molecular mechanisms involved. This is especially true for invertebrates, where research on mate choice has largely focused on male behavior. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge on the neural, molecular and neurohormonal mechanisms of female choice in invertebrates, including behaviors before, during, and after copulation. We identify areas of research that have not been extensively explored in invertebrates, suggesting potential directions for future investigation. We hope that this review will stimulate further research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sagrario Cordero-Molina
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva. Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Ingrid Fetter-Pruneda
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Fisiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Jorge Contreras-Garduño
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva. Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
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2
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Kovalov V, Kokko H. Fertility signalling games: should males obey the signal? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210499. [PMID: 36934751 PMCID: PMC10024994 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0499] [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: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Game theory is frequently used to study conflicting interests between the two sexes. Males often benefit from a higher mating rate than females do. A temporal component of this conflict has rarely been modelled: females' interest in mating may depend on when females become fertile. This sets conditions for male-female coevolution, where females may develop fertility signals, and males may obey the signal, such that they only target signalling females. Modelling this temporal aspect to sexual conflict yields two equilibria: (i) a trivial equilibrium without signals and with males targeting all females, and (ii) a signalling equilibrium where all females signal before ovulation, and where either some, or all, males obey the signal. The 'all males obey the signal' equilibrium is more likely if we assume that discriminating males have an advantage in postcopulatory sperm competition, while in the absence of this benefit, we find the 'some males obey the signal' equilibrium. The history of game-theoretic models of sex differences often portrays one sex as the 'winner' and the opposite sex as the 'loser'. From early models emphasizing 'battle of the sexes'-style terminology, we recommend moving on to describe the situation as non-signalling equilibria having stronger unresolved sexual conflict than signalling equilibria. This article is part of the theme issue 'Half a century of evolutionary games: a synthesis of theory, application and future directions'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktor Kovalov
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hanna Kokko
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1160 Vienna, Austria
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, 00790 University of Helsinki, Finland
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3
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Himuro C, Honma A, Ikegawa Y, Kumano N. The female Euscepes postfasciatus refractory period is induced by the male but length is determined by the female. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 142:104427. [PMID: 35908745 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2022.104427] [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: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Females of many animals mate multiple times during their lives (i.e., polyandry). The period between matings (mating interval) is called the refractory period (RP). In the West Indian sweet potato weevil (Euscepes postfasciatus), males use the ejaculate to induce the RP in females to prevent re-mating. By measuring the RP, a large variation of 1-49 days was observed. This variation may be due to the males (ejaculate quantity and quality) and females (ejaculate sensitivity/degradation ability and body size) and their interactions, but the exact mechanisms are currently unclear. Here, we investigated a tendency towards a particular female RP duration and the associated traits of males and females to test the following three factors responsible for variation in the length of the RP: male manipulation of ejaculate volume, individual differences in male ejaculation substances, and ejaculate sensitivity/degradation ability in females. We prepared virgin males and females to create mating pairs. The following day, another mate was introduced to the females, and the first RP was measured. The same procedure was used for measuring the second RP. The males were also provided with another female (second female), mated, and then the RP of the second female was measured. In addition, the relationship between the length of the RP and female fitness was investigated. The results showed that there was a significant positive correlation between the first and second RP in the focal females, while no significant correlation was observed between the RP of the first and second females induced by the same male. It was also found that the length of the RP did not affect female fitness. This indicated that the males did not adaptively manipulate ejaculation volume depending on the quality of the females, and variance in the length of the RP may be explained by variation in the female physiological ability against ejaculate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chihiro Himuro
- Okinawa Prefectural Plant Protection Centre, Naha 902-0072, Japan; Ryukyu Sankei Co., Ltd, Naha, Okinawa 902-0072, Japan; Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan.
| | - Atsushi Honma
- Okinawa Prefectural Plant Protection Centre, Naha 902-0072, Japan; Ryukyu Sankei Co., Ltd, Naha, Okinawa 902-0072, Japan; Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan
| | - Yusuke Ikegawa
- Okinawa Prefectural Plant Protection Centre, Naha 902-0072, Japan; Ryukyu Sankei Co., Ltd, Naha, Okinawa 902-0072, Japan; Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan
| | - Norikuni Kumano
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Department of Life Science and Agriculture, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido, Japan
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Dederichs TM, Huber BA, Michalik P. Evolutionary morphology of sperm in pholcid spiders (Pholcidae, Synspermiata). BMC ZOOL 2022; 7:52. [PMID: 37170331 PMCID: PMC10127419 DOI: 10.1186/s40850-022-00148-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Pholcidae represent one of the largest and most diverse spider families and have been subject to various studies regarding behavior and reproductive biology. In contrast to the solid knowledge on phylogeny and general reproductive morphology, the primary male reproductive system is strongly understudied, as it has been addressed only for few species. Those studies however suggested a high diversity of sperm and seminal secretions across the family. To address this disparity and reconstruct the evolution of sperm traits, we investigate the primary male reproductive system of pholcid spiders by means of light, X-ray, and transmission electron microscopy using a comprehensive taxon sampling with 46 species from 33 genera, representing all five subfamilies.
Results
Our data show a high disparity of sperm morphology and seminal secretions within pholcids. We document several sperm characters that are unique for pholcids, such as a helical band (Pholcinae) or a lamellate posterior centriolar adjunct material (Modisiminae). Character mapping revealed several putative synapomorphies for individual taxa. With regard to sperm transfer forms, we found that synspermia occur only in the subfamily Ninetinae, whereas the other subfamilies have cleistospermia. In several species with cleistospermia, we demonstrate that spermatids remain fused until late stages of spermiogenesis before ultimately separating shortly before the coiling process. Additionally, we explored the previously hypothesized correlation between sperm size and minimum diameter of the spermophor in the male palpal organ. We show that synspermia differ strongly in size whereas cleistospermia are rather uniform, but neither transfer form is positively correlated with the diameter of the spermophor.
Conclusions
Our data revealed a dynamic evolution of sperm characters, with convergences across all subfamilies and a high level of homoplasy. The present diversity can be related to subfamily level and allows for assignments of specific subtypes of spermatozoa. Our observations support the idea that Ninetinae are an ancestral clade within Pholcidae that have retained synspermia and that synspermia represent the ancestral sperm transfer form of Pholcidae.
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Kebede M, Fite T. RNA interference (RNAi) applications to the management of fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae): Its current trends and future prospects. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:944774. [PMID: 36158573 PMCID: PMC9490220 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.944774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is among the invasive insect pests that damages maize and sorghum, the high-priority crops in newly colonized agro-ecologies, including African contexts. Owing to the increasing infestation of the pest and the limitations of current conventional methods for its management, there is a call for discovering advanced pest management approaches. RNA interference (RNAi) is an emerging molecular tool showing flexible potential for the management of S. frugiperda. We conducted a search of the recent application of RNAi literature using Google Scholar and Mendeley to find advanced papers on S. frugiperda management using RNAi molecular tools that led to growth inhibition, developmental aberrations, reduced fecundity, and mortality, mainly by disruption of normal biological processes of the pest. Although efforts have been made to accelerate the utility of RNAi, many factors limit the efficiency of RNAi to achieve successful control over S. frugiperda. Owing to RNAi’s potential bioactivity and economic and ecological acceptability, continued research efforts should focus on improving its broad applicability, including field conditions. Screening and identification of key target genes should be a priority task to achieve effective and sustainable management of this insect via RNAi. In addition, a clear understanding of the present status of RNAi utilization in S. frugiperda management is of paramount importance to improve its efficiency. Therefore, in this review, we highlight the biology of S. frugiperda and the RNAi mechanism as a foundation for the molecular management of the pest. Then, we discuss the current knowledge of the RNAi approach in S. frugiperda management and the factors affecting the efficiency of RNAi application. Finally, the prospects for RNAi-based insect pest management are highlighted for future research to achieve effective management of S. frugiperda.
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Effects of Larval Diet on the Male Reproductive Traits in the West Indian Sweet Potato Weevils Euscepes postfasciatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13040389. [PMID: 35447831 PMCID: PMC9031274 DOI: 10.3390/insects13040389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Simple Summary In insects, it is known that the diet during the larval stage affects traits in the adult stage. However, it is still unclear how it affects reproductive traits such as ejaculation. The ejaculate contains many proteins and therefore requires much nutrition, so the larval diet strongly influences it. Males of the West Indian sweet potato weevil Euscepes postfasciatus use accessory gland substances to inhibit remating by females. Crossing experiments were conducted using lines reared on artificial diets or sweet potato tubers during the larval stage, and the refractory period was examined. The results showed that the larval stage diet had a significant effect on the refractory period of females. We also found one protein of approximately 15 kDa in size expressed only in the treatments reared on sweet potatoes. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show that larval diet qualitatively influences male ejaculate and female refractory period. Abstract Larval diet significantly affects adult traits, although less is known about how they affect reproductive traits. Males of West Indian sweet potato weevil Euscepes postfasciatus deliver a remating inhibitor along with sperm to their mates during mating, leading to a refractory period (the period before females mate again). Crossing experiments were conducted using lines reared on artificial diets, including sweet potato powder (AD) or sweet potato tubers (SP) during the larval stage, and the refractory period was examined. We also examined whether the larval diet qualitatively or quantitatively altered male ejaculate. The results showed that the refractory period was significantly longer in the SP treatment than in the AD treatment for males and females. There was no significant difference in ejaculate volume. However, the number of sperm in the testes-seminal vesicles complex was significantly higher in the SP treatment. Additionally, SDS-PAGE revealed that the ejaculate was qualitatively different depending on the larval diet, and one protein of approximately 15 kDa in size was expressed only in the SP treatments. Revealing how larval diet affects reproductive traits in adult males will help shed light on the diverse evolution of insect mating systems and reproductive behavior.
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Xochipiltecatl D, Baixeras J, Cordero CR. Atypical functioning of female genitalia explains monandry in a butterfly. PeerJ 2021; 9:e12499. [PMID: 34900425 PMCID: PMC8614189 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12499] [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: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Monandrous species are rare in nature, especially in animals where males transfer nutrients to females in the ejaculate. The proximate mechanisms responsible for monandry are poorly studied. In butterflies and moths, the male transfers a nutritious spermatophore into the corpus bursae (CB) of the female. The CB is a multifunctional organ that digests the spermatophore and has partial control of the post-mating sexual receptivity of the female. The spermatophore distends the CB and the post-mating sexual receptivity of the female is inversely proportional to the degree of distension. The CB of many butterfly species has a muscular sheath whose contractions mechanically contribute to digest the spermatophore. As the contents of the CB are absorbed, the degree of distension decreases and the female recovers receptivity. We studied the monandrous butterfly Leptophobia aripa (Boisduval, 1836) (Pieridae) and found that females do not digest the spermatophores. We investigated the structure of the CB and found that a muscular sheath is absent, indicating that in this butterfly females lack the necessary "apparatus" for the mechanical digestion of the spermatophore. We propose that female monandry in this species is result of its incapability to mechanically digest the spermatophore, which results in a constant degree of CB distension after mating and, thus, in the maintenance of the sexually unreceptive state of females. Hypotheses on the evolution of this mechanism are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Xochipiltecatl
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, México
| | - Joaquín Baixeras
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Carlos R Cordero
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, México
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8
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Heimerl D, Dudová P, Wacker K, Schenkel E, Despréaux G, Tuni C. Adult sex ratio and male body condition affect alternative reproductive tactics in a spider. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Biases in adult sex ratios can alter the intensity of sexual selection by enhancing competition for mates. Under intense competition males increase their investment in behaviors to outcompete rivals (e.g., fighting). Yet, given that in male-biased environments mating opportunities are rare males may alternatively reduce costly courtship and/or adopt alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs). Males of the spider Pisaura mirabilis adopt different mating tactics, offering females genuine nuptial gifts (prey), nutritionally worthless gifts (prey leftovers), or no gifts. To test whether behavioral shifts between gift tactics are triggered by changes in the competitive environment, we established replicate spider populations under natural conditions at varying adult sex ratios (male-biased, female-biased and equal) and sampled gift tactics repeatedly over time. We additionally explored how male individual traits, such as body size and condition, affect the expression of ARTs. In male-biased populations males produced more gifts but of low quality, suggesting competition to trigger increased mating effort to ensure mate acquisition and fertilizations, but through a worthless gift tactic. Production of gifts and of genuine gifts was favored by high body condition, pointing to energetic limitations as being central for male reproductive capacity. We hence highlight two co-existing mechanisms at play to explain ARTs in this system, the competitive social environment where expression of gift tactics is based on optimal-decision making to overcome competition, and a conditional strategy linked to the individual’s energetic state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Heimerl
- Department of Biology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Großhaderner Str. 2 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Pavla Dudová
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Biology Centre, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 1160/31, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1645/31A, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Karoline Wacker
- Department of Biology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Großhaderner Str. 2 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Elisa Schenkel
- Department of Biology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Großhaderner Str. 2 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Garance Despréaux
- Department of Biology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Großhaderner Str. 2 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Cristina Tuni
- Department of Biology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Großhaderner Str. 2 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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9
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Wan XS, Shi MR, Xu J, Liu JH, Ye H. Interference Efficiency and Effects of Bacterium-mediated RNAi in the Fall Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2021; 21:6377270. [PMID: 34581410 PMCID: PMC8477382 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieab073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
RNAi is an effective tool for gene function analysis and a promising strategy to provide environmentally friendly control approaches for pathogens and pests. Recent studies support the utility of bacterium-mediated RNAi as a cost-effective method for gene function study and a suitable externally applied delivery mechanism for pest control. Here, we developed a bacterium-mediated RNAi system in Spodoptera frugiperda based on four target genes, specifically, Chitinase (Sf-CHI), Chitin synthase B (Sf-CHSB), Sugar transporter SWEET1 (Sf-ST), and Hemolin (Sf-HEM). RNAi conducted by feeding larvae with bacteria expressing dsRNAs of target genes or injecting pupae and adults with bacterially synthesized dsRNA induced silencing of target genes and resulted in significant negative effects on growth and survival of S. frugiperda. However, RNAi efficiency and effects were variable among different target genes and dsRNA delivery methods. Injection of pupae with dsCHI and dsCHSB induced a significant increase in wing malformation in adults, suggesting that precise regulation of chitin digestion and synthesis is crucial during wing formation. Injection of female moths with dsHEM resulted in lower mating, fecundity, and egg hatching, signifying a critical role of Sf-HEM in the process of egg production and/or embryo development. Our collective results demonstrate that bacterium-mediated RNAi presents an alternative technique for gene function study in S. frugiperda and a potentially effective strategy for control of this pest, and that Sf-CHI, Sf-CHSB, Sf-ST, and Sf-HEM encoding genes can be potent targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Shuang Wan
- Yunnan Academy of Biodiversity, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
| | - Min-Rui Shi
- Yunnan Academy of Biodiversity, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
| | - Jin Xu
- Yunnan Academy of Biodiversity, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
- Key Laboratory for Forest Resources Conservation and Utilization in the Southwest Mountains of China, Ministry of Education, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
- Corresponding authors, e-mail: ;
| | - Jian-Hong Liu
- Yunnan Academy of Biodiversity, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
- Corresponding authors, e-mail: ;
| | - Hui Ye
- School of Ecology and Environment, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
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10
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Immarigeon C, Frei Y, Delbare SYN, Gligorov D, Machado Almeida P, Grey J, Fabbro L, Nagoshi E, Billeter JC, Wolfner MF, Karch F, Maeda RK. Identification of a micropeptide and multiple secondary cell genes that modulate Drosophila male reproductive success. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2001897118. [PMID: 33876742 PMCID: PMC8053986 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2001897118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Even in well-characterized genomes, many transcripts are considered noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) simply due to the absence of large open reading frames (ORFs). However, it is now becoming clear that many small ORFs (smORFs) produce peptides with important biological functions. In the process of characterizing the ribosome-bound transcriptome of an important cell type of the seminal fluid-producing accessory gland of Drosophila melanogaster, we detected an RNA, previously thought to be noncoding, called male-specific abdominal (msa). Notably, msa is nested in the HOX gene cluster of the Bithorax complex and is known to contain a micro-RNA within one of its introns. We find that this RNA encodes a "micropeptide" (9 or 20 amino acids, MSAmiP) that is expressed exclusively in the secondary cells of the male accessory gland, where it seems to accumulate in nuclei. Importantly, loss of function of this micropeptide causes defects in sperm competition. In addition to bringing insights into the biology of a rare cell type, this work underlines the importance of small peptides, a class of molecules that is now emerging as important actors in complex biological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clément Immarigeon
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Sciences III, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland;
| | - Yohan Frei
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Sciences III, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Sofie Y N Delbare
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-2703
| | - Dragan Gligorov
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Sciences III, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Pedro Machado Almeida
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Sciences III, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Jasmine Grey
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-2703
| | - Léa Fabbro
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Sciences III, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Emi Nagoshi
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Sciences III, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Christophe Billeter
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen 9700 CC, The Netherlands
| | - Mariana F Wolfner
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-2703
| | - François Karch
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Sciences III, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Robert K Maeda
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Sciences III, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland;
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11
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Xiao HY, Li GC, Wang ZQ, Guo YR, Liu NY. Combined transcriptomic, proteomic and genomic analysis identifies reproductive-related proteins and potential modulators of female behaviors in Spodoptera litura. Genomics 2021; 113:1876-1894. [PMID: 33839272 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2021.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The common cutworm, Spodoptera litura, is a polyandrous moth with high reproductive ability. Sexual reproduction is a unique strategy for survival and reproduction of population in this species. However, to date available information about its reproductive genes is rare. Here, we combined transcriptomics, genomics and proteomics approaches to characterize reproductive-related proteins in S. litura. Illumina sequencing in parallel with the reference genome led to the yields of 12,161 reproductive genes, representing 47.83% of genes annotated in the genome. Further, 524 genes of 19 specific gene families annotated in the genome were detected in reproductive tissues of both sexes, some of which exhibited sex-biased and/or tissue-enriched expression. Of these, manual efforts together with the transcriptome analyses re-annotated 54 odorant binding proteins (OBPs) and 23 chemosensory proteins (CSPs) with an increase of 18 OBPs and one CSP compared to those previously annotated in the genome. Interestingly, at least 35 OBPs and 22 CSPs were transcribed in at least one reproductive tissue, suggestive of their involvement in reproduction. Further proteomic analysis revealed 2381 common proteins between virgin and mated female reproductive systems, 79 of which were differentially expressed. More importantly, 74 proteins exclusive to mated females were identified as transferred relatives, coupled with their specific or high expression in male reproductive systems. Of the transferred proteins, several conserved protein classes across insects were observed including OBPs, serpins, trypsins and juvenile hormone-binding proteins. Our current study has extensively surveyed reproductive genes in S. litura with an emphasis on the roles of OBPs and CSPs in reproduction, and identifies potentially transferred proteins serving as modulators of female post-mating behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai-Yan Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Forest Disaster Warning and Control of Yunnan Province, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
| | - Gen-Ceng Li
- Key Laboratory of Forest Disaster Warning and Control of Yunnan Province, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
| | - Zheng-Quan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Disaster Warning and Control of Yunnan Province, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
| | - Yu-Ruo Guo
- Key Laboratory of Forest Disaster Warning and Control of Yunnan Province, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
| | - Nai-Yong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Disaster Warning and Control of Yunnan Province, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China.
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12
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Veiga JC, Ruiz GRS, Carvalho-Zilse GA, Menezes C, Contrera FAL. Queens remate despite traumatic mating in stingless bees. Curr Zool 2021; 68:81-92. [PMID: 35169631 PMCID: PMC8836336 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoab019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Males can control female reproduction using genital plugs to impede access by rivals. In social bees, ants, and wasps, plugging may involve traumatic mating, with females being harmed. In stingless bees, chances are that plugs may promote ovarian activan, and are thought to ensure single mating—a general tendency among the social Hymenoptera. However, understanding on relationships between mating plugs, traumatic mating, and mating systems in stingless bees remains limited. To address this, we (1) compared mated queens of 7 Neotropical species to understand the patterns of copulatory marks in females and (2) compared pre- and post-mating genitalia of males and females in Melipona fasciculata to depict plug functional morphology. Data revealed an unprecedented consequence of mating in stingless bees: the characteristic marks left by mating plugs on female abdomens and the inferences that can be made from them. To our surprise, in 1 species M. fasciculata we found that queens retain the plug long after mating, and may carry it for the rest of their lives. All the other 6 species retained the plug for only a short period. Remated queens were only found in M. seminigra, whose multiple copulatory marks match previous findings of polyandry in this species. Our study shows that queens can remate, and suggests that male genital morphology may determine in part the time persistence of plugs. We conclude that traumatic mating plugs do not fully prevent remating in stingless bees and that mating systems are not uniform in this group. Nonetheless, exceptional cases of facultative polyandry in social insects—for example, when mating plugs fail—may confirm a general tendency for single mating in close link with efficient mating plugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamille Costa Veiga
- Bee Biology and Ecology Lab, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, 66075-110 Pará, Brazil
- Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Research Group, Instituto Tecnológico Vale—Desenvolvimento Sustentável, Belém, 66055-090 Pará, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Rodrigo Sanches Ruiz
- Ecology and Zoology of Invertebrates Lab, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, 66075-110 Pará, Brazil
| | | | - Cristiano Menezes
- Research and Development, Embrapa Meio Ambiente, Jaguariúna, 13820-000 São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Felipe Andrés León Contrera
- Bee Biology and Ecology Lab, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, 66075-110 Pará, Brazil
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13
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Ramm SA. Seminal fluid and accessory male investment in sperm competition. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20200068. [PMID: 33070740 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Sperm production and allocation strategies have been a central concern of sperm competition research for the past 50 years. But during the 'sexual cascade' there may be strong selection for alternative routes to maximizing male fitness. Especially with the evolution of internal fertilization, a common and by now well-studied example is the accessory ejaculate investment represented by seminal fluid, the complex mixture of proteins, peptides and other components transferred to females together with sperm. How seminal fluid investment should covary with sperm investment probably depends on the mechanism of seminal fluid action. If seminal fluid components boost male paternity success by directly enhancing sperm function or use, we might often expect a positive correlation between the two forms of male investment, whereas trade-offs seem more likely if seminal fluid acts independently of sperm. This is largely borne out by a broad taxonomic survey to establish the prevailing patterns of seminal fluid production and allocation during animal evolution, in light of which I discuss the gaps that remain in our understanding of this key ejaculate component and its relationship to sperm investment, before outlining promising approaches for examining seminal fluid-mediated sperm competitiveness in the post-genomic era. This article is part of the theme issue 'Fifty years of sperm competition'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven A Ramm
- Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
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14
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Sato N, Tsuda SI, Nur E Alam M, Sasanami T, Iwata Y, Kusama S, Inamura O, Yoshida MA, Hirohashi N. Rare polyandry and common monogamy in the firefly squid, Watasenia scintillans. Sci Rep 2020; 10:10962. [PMID: 32620906 PMCID: PMC7334199 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-68006-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In cephalopods, all species are considered to be polyandrous because of their common life history and reproductive traits reflecting a polyandrous mating system. Contrary to this belief, here we show several lines of evidence for monogamy in the firefly squid, Watasenia scintillans. In this species, females are capable of long-term storage of spermatangia, and of egg spawning even after the complete disappearance of males following the breeding season. The stored spermatangia are distributed equally between bilateral pouches under the female’s neck collar. Such a nonrandom pattern of sperm storage prompted us to hypothesize that females might engage in lifetime monandry. Hence, we genotyped female-stored spermatangia and offspring, and found that in 95% of females (18/19), all the spermatangia had been delivered from a single male and all the embryos in a clutch had been sired by spermatozoa from stored spermatangia. In males, throughout the reproductive season, relative testis mass was much smaller in W. scintillans than in all other cephalopods examined previously. The mean number of male-stored spermatophores was ~ 30, equivalent to only 2.5 matings. Our genetic, demographic and morphometrical data agree with a mathematical model predicting that monogyny is favored when potential mates are scarce. Together, these results suggest mutual monogamy in W. scintillans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noriyosi Sato
- Oki Marine Biological Station, Shimane University, 194 Kamo, Okinoshima, Oki, Shimane, 685-0024, Japan.,Department of Fisheries, School of Marine Science and Technology, Tokai University, Shizuoka, 424-8610, Japan
| | - Sei-Ichiro Tsuda
- Oki Marine Biological Station, Shimane University, 194 Kamo, Okinoshima, Oki, Shimane, 685-0024, Japan
| | - Md Nur E Alam
- Oki Marine Biological Station, Shimane University, 194 Kamo, Okinoshima, Oki, Shimane, 685-0024, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Sasanami
- Department of Applied Life Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Shizuoka, Shizuoka, 422-8529, Japan
| | - Yoko Iwata
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8564, Japan
| | - Satoshi Kusama
- Uozu Aquarium, 1390 Sanga, Uozu, Toyama, 937-0857, Japan
| | - Osamu Inamura
- Uozu Aquarium, 1390 Sanga, Uozu, Toyama, 937-0857, Japan
| | - Masa-Aki Yoshida
- Oki Marine Biological Station, Shimane University, 194 Kamo, Okinoshima, Oki, Shimane, 685-0024, Japan
| | - Noritaka Hirohashi
- Oki Marine Biological Station, Shimane University, 194 Kamo, Okinoshima, Oki, Shimane, 685-0024, Japan.
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15
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Santori C, Bussière LF, Houslay TM. Heightened perception of competition hastens courtship. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
When animals use costly labile display or signal traits to display to the opposite sex, they face complex decisions regarding the degree and timing of their investment in separate instances of trait expression. Such decisions may be informed by not only the focal individual’s condition (or pool of available resources) but also aspects of the social environment, such as perceptions of same-sex competition or the quality of available mates. However, the relative importance of these factors to investment decisions remains unclear. Here, we use manipulations of condition (through dietary nutrition), recent social environment (exposure to a silenced male, nonsilenced male, female, or isolation), and female mating history (single or multiple male) to test how quickly male decorated crickets (Gryllodes sigillatus) decide to begin courting an available female. We find that males that were previously housed with nonsilenced males started courting the female earlier than other males. Females only mounted males after courtship began. Our results suggest a strong effect of the perception of competition on the decision to invest resources in sexual signaling behavior and that females might exert directional selection on its timing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Santori
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Luc F Bussière
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | - Thomas M Houslay
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, UK
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16
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Mozuraitis R, Murtazina R, Zurita J, Pei Y, Ilag L, Wiklund C, Karlson AKB. Anti-aphrodisiac pheromone, a renewable signal in adult butterflies. Sci Rep 2019; 9:14262. [PMID: 31582781 PMCID: PMC6776535 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-50838-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The male butterfly Pieris napi produces the anti-aphrodisiac pheromone methyl salicylate (MeS) and transfers it to the female during mating. After mating she releases MeS, when courted by conspecific males, which decreases her attractiveness and the duration of male harassment, thus increasing her time available for egg-laying. In previous studies we have shown that males produced MeS from the amino acid L-phenylalanine (L-Phe) acquired during larval stage. In this study we show that adult males of P. napi can utilize L-Phe and aromatic flower volatiles as building blocks for production of anti-aphrodisiac pheromone and transfer it to females during mating. We demonstrate this by feeding butterflies with stable isotope labelled molecules mixed in sugar solutions, and, to mimic the natural conditions, we fed male butterflies with floral nectar of Bunias orientalis plants treated with labelled L-Phe. The volatiles from butterflies and plants were collected and identified by solid phase micro extraction, gas chromatography and mass spectrometry techniques. Since P. napi is polygamous, males would gain from restoring the titre of MeS after mating and the use of aromatic precursors for production of MeS could be considered as an advantageous trait which could enable butterflies to relocate L-Phe for other needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raimondas Mozuraitis
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden. .,Laboratory of Chemical and Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology, Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, LT-08412, Vilnius, Lithuania.
| | - Rushana Murtazina
- Department of Chemistry, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, Royal Institute of Technology, KTH, SE-100 44, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Javier Zurita
- Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry, Stockholm University, SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yuxin Pei
- Northwest A&F University, Department of Applied Chemistry, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, People's Republic of China
| | - Leopold Ilag
- Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry, Stockholm University, SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christer Wiklund
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Karin Borg Karlson
- Department of Chemistry, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, Royal Institute of Technology, KTH, SE-100 44, Stockholm, Sweden.,Division of Organic Chemistry, Institute of Technology, Tartu University, Tartu, 50411, Estonia
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17
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Silva EB, Mourato C, Branco M, Mendel Z, Franco JC. Biparental mealybugs may be more promiscuous than we thought. BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2019; 109:574-582. [PMID: 30378507 DOI: 10.1017/s0007485318000810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Knowledge on the reproductive biology of target insect pest is essential for the effective implementation of pheromone-based pest management tactics. In mealybugs, the second largest family of scale insects, the existence of female multiple mating was recently suggested. In this study, we aimed at testing how general is this behavior in mealybugs, by investigating polygyny and polyandry in two cosmopolitan pest mealybugs, Planococcus citri and Pseudococcus calceolariae. Males of these species were able to mate an average of 11.9 and 13.3 females, respectively, during their lifespan. The number of fertilized females per male decreased with male age/mating history for both mealybugs. We found no differences in female fecundity and fertility, when fertilized by males with different mating history. When we used male age as a proxy of mating history, we observed a significant negative effect on female fecundity. The females of both species remained receptive after first copula and eventually mated multiple times. The percentage of remated females of P. citri decreased linearly with time since first copula, with some maintaining receptivity up to 24 h. Males showed no preference between virgin and mated females, in static-air olfactometer tests. We found no benefit of female multiple mating in relation to fecundity. In biparental mealybugs, the mating system of males is possibly scramble competition polygyny; and that of females is possibly polyandry, with female receptivity restricted to a relatively short period. We discuss the practical implications of the results for pest management.
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Affiliation(s)
- E B Silva
- Centro de Estudos Florestais, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, 1349-017, Lisboa, Portugal
- Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, 1349-017, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - C Mourato
- Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, 1349-017, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - M Branco
- Centro de Estudos Florestais, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, 1349-017, Lisboa, Portugal
- Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, 1349-017, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Z Mendel
- Department of Entomology, Volcani Center, ARO, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel
| | - J C Franco
- Centro de Estudos Florestais, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, 1349-017, Lisboa, Portugal
- Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, 1349-017, Lisboa, Portugal
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18
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Thorburn DMJ, Knell RJ, Parrett JM. Sperm morph and remating frequency in the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella. Biol Lett 2019; 14:rsbl.2018.0304. [PMID: 30135117 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2018.0304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
All Lepidoptera produce two sperm types: normal, nucleated 'eupyrene' sperm and anucleate 'apyrene' sperm. One hypothesis for the evolution of apyrene sperm suggests that they act to reduce female remating rate. Apyrene sperm require less resources to produce than do eupyrene sperm, and could delay remating by females by acting as a 'cheap filler', packing the spermatheca and thereby reducing receptivity. This would reduce the risk of sperm competition, giving a potential adaptive advantage to the male producing these sperm. This leads to the prediction that the probability of a female remating should correlate with the number of stored apyrene sperm, which has previously been supported by experiments using the green-veined white butterfly, Pieris napi We repeated this experiment using the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella We find that in this species, eupyrene, not apyrene sperm number is the best predictor of female remating probability, indicating that the 'cheap filler' hypothesis for the function of apyrene sperm is not well supported in Pl. interpunctella.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doko-Miles J Thorburn
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary, University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Robert J Knell
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary, University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Jonathan M Parrett
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary, University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
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19
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Putative Drone Copulation Factors Regulating Honey Bee ( Apis mellifera) Queen Reproduction and Health: A Review. INSECTS 2019; 10:insects10010008. [PMID: 30626022 PMCID: PMC6358756 DOI: 10.3390/insects10010008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Honey bees are major pollinators of agricultural and non-agricultural landscapes. In recent years, honey bee colonies have exhibited high annual losses and commercial beekeepers frequently report poor queen quality and queen failure as the primary causes. Honey bee colonies are highly vulnerable to compromised queen fertility, as each hive is headed by one reproductive queen. Queens mate with multiple drones (male bees) during a single mating period early in life in which they obtain enough spermatozoa to fertilize their eggs for the rest of their reproductive life span. The process of mating initiates numerous behavioral, physiological, and molecular changes that shape the fertility of the queen and her influence on the colony. For example, receipt of drone semen can modulate queen ovary activation, pheromone production, and subsequent worker retinue behavior. In addition, seminal fluid is a major component of semen that is primarily derived from drone accessory glands. It also contains a complex mixture of proteins such as proteases, antioxidants, and antimicrobial proteins. Seminal fluid proteins are essential for inducing post-mating changes in other insects such as Drosophila and thus they may also impact honey bee queen fertility and health. However, the specific molecules in semen and seminal fluid that initiate post-mating changes in queens are still unidentified. Herein, we summarize the mating biology of honey bees, the changes queens undergo during and after copulation, and the role of drone semen and seminal fluid in post-mating changes in queens. We then review the effects of seminal fluid proteins in insect reproduction and potential roles for honey bee drone seminal fluid proteins in queen reproduction and health. We finish by proposing future avenues of research. Further elucidating the role of drone fertility in queen reproductive health may contribute towards reducing colony losses and advancing honey bee stock development.
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20
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Males of the tortricid moth Amorbia cuneana (Walsingham, 1879) shed their genital spines inside the female during copulation. ZOOL ANZ 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2018.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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21
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Santostefano F, Galarza JA, Mappes J. Testing the direct and genetic benefit hypotheses of polyandry in the wood tiger moth. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2525-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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22
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Xavier LMS, Magalhães DM, Viana PA, Blassioli-Moraes MC, Borges M, Barrigossi JAF, Vilela EF, Laumann RA. Age Influence on Sexual Behavior of the Lesser Cornstalk Borer, Elasmopalpus lignosellus (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2018; 47:205-210. [PMID: 28474329 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-017-0527-x] [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: 06/14/2016] [Accepted: 04/07/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this work was to evaluate the reproductive behavior and response of Elasmopalpus lignosellus (Zeller) males to calling females. Frequency of mating was recorded in couples during the first 7 days of the adult stage. Calling behavior of females was observed during the first 4 days of the adult stage and responses of males, in the same age intervals, to calling females were recorded in wind tunnel bioassays. The maximum number of matings occurred when the couple was between 24 and 48 h old. The scotophase period significantly influenced mating behavior, which peaked between 6 and 8 h of darkness and the mean mating duration was 93.9 ± 4.2 min. Calling females, when evaluated in a wind tunnel, attracted significantly more males than in bioassays with clean air (control). The number of individuals in calling behavior was significantly lower for females that were between 0 to 24 h old compared to the other females evaluated, but this did not influence male response. A lower proportion of males between 48 to 72 h old responded to calling females and these responses were delayed in comparison with males of other ages (0 to 24, 24 to 48, and 72 to 96 h old). These results indicate that the age of E. lignosellus males influences the response to conspecific calling females.
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Affiliation(s)
- L M S Xavier
- Lab de Semioquímicos, Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Brasilia, DF, Brasil
- Depto de Biologia Animal, Univ Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, Brasil
| | - D M Magalhães
- Lab de Semioquímicos, Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Brasilia, DF, Brasil
| | - P A Viana
- Embrapa Milho e Sorgo, Sete Lagoas, MG, Brasil
| | - M C Blassioli-Moraes
- Lab de Semioquímicos, Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Brasilia, DF, Brasil
| | - M Borges
- Lab de Semioquímicos, Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Brasilia, DF, Brasil
| | | | - E F Vilela
- Depto de Biologia Animal, Univ Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, Brasil
| | - R A Laumann
- Lab de Semioquímicos, Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Brasilia, DF, Brasil.
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23
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Effects of mating on host selection by female small white butterflies Pieris rapae (Lepidoptera: Pieridae). J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2017; 204:245-255. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-017-1237-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Revised: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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24
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Hernández L, Aisenberg A, Molina J. Mating plugs and sexual cannibalism in the Colombian orb-web spiderLeucauge mariana. Ethology 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Linda Hernández
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Tropical - CIMPAT; Bogotá Universidad de los Andes; Bogotá Colombia
| | - Anita Aisenberg
- Laboratorio de Etología, Ecología y Evolución; Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable; Montevideo Uruguay
| | - Jorge Molina
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Tropical - CIMPAT; Bogotá Universidad de los Andes; Bogotá Colombia
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25
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Carvalho APS, Orr AG, Kawahara AY. A review of the occurrence and diversity of the sphragis in butterflies (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea). Zookeys 2017:41-70. [PMID: 29133999 PMCID: PMC5672779 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.694.13097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Males of many butterfly species secrete long-lasting mating plugs to prevent their mates from copulating with other males, thus ensuring their sperm will fertilize all future eggs laid. Certain species have further developed a greatly enlarged, often spectacular, externalized plug, termed a sphragis. This distinctive structure results from complex adaptations in both male and female genitalia and is qualitatively distinct from the amorphous, internal mating plugs of other species. Intermediate conditions between internal plug and external sphragis are rare. The term sphragis has often been misunderstood in recent years, hence we provide a formal definition based on accepted usage throughout most of the last century. Despite it being a highly apparent trait, neither the incidence nor diversity of the sphragis has been systematically documented. We record a sphragis or related structure in 273 butterfly species, representing 72 species of Papilionidae in 13 genera, and 201 species of Nymphalidae in 9 genera. These figures represent respectively, 13% of Papilionidae, 3% of Nymphalidae, and 1% of known butterfly species. A well-formed sphragis evolved independently in at least five butterfly subfamilies, with a rudimentary structure also occurring in an additional subfamily. The sphragis is probably the plesiomorphic condition in groups such as Parnassius (Papilionidae: Parnassiinae) and many Acraeini (Nymphalidae: Heliconiinae). Some butterflies, such as those belonging to the Parnassius simo group, have apparently lost the structure secondarily. The material cost of producing the sphragis is considerable. It is typically offset by production of a smaller spermatophore, thus reducing the amount of male-derived nutrients donated to the female during mating for use in oogenesis and/or somatic maintenance. The sphragis potentially represents one of the clearest examples of mate conflict known. Investigating its biology should yield testable hypotheses to further our understanding of the selective processes at play in an 'arms race' between the sexes. This paper provides an overview, which will inform future study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Paula S Carvalho
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, 1881 Natural Area Dr, Gainesville, FL 32608, United States.,McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 3215 Hull Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611 United States
| | - Albert G Orr
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia
| | - Akito Y Kawahara
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, 1881 Natural Area Dr, Gainesville, FL 32608, United States.,McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 3215 Hull Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611 United States
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26
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Sex-dependent effects of larval food stress on adult performance under semi-natural conditions: only a matter of size? Oecologia 2017; 184:633-642. [PMID: 28685203 PMCID: PMC5511311 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-017-3903-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Organisms with complex life-cycles acquire essential nutrients as juveniles, and hence even a short-term food stress during development can impose serious fitness costs apparent in adults. We used the Glanville fritillary butterfly to investigate the effects of larval food stress on adult performance under semi-natural conditions in a population enclosure. We were specifically interested in whether the negative effects observed were due to body mass reduction only or whether additional effects unrelated to pupal mass were evident. The two sexes responded differently to the larval food stress. In females, larval food stress reduced pupal mass and reproductive performance. The reduced reproductive performance was partially mediated by pupal mass reduction. Food stressed females also had reduced within-patch mobility, and this effect was not dependent on pupal mass. Conversely, food stress had no effect on male pupal mass, suggesting a full compensation via prolonged development time. Nonetheless, food stressed males were less likely to sire any eggs, potentially due to changes in their territorial behavior, as indicated by food stress also increasing male within-patch mobility (i.e., patrolling behavior). When males did sire eggs, the offspring number and viability were unaffected by male food stress treatment. Viability was in general higher for offspring sired by lighter males. Our study highlights how compensatory mechanisms after larval food stress can act in a sex-specific manner and that the alteration in body mass is only partially responsible for the reduced adult performance observed.
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Denis B, Claisse G, Le Rouzic A, Wicker-Thomas C, Lepennetier G, Joly D. Male accessory gland proteins affect differentially female sexual receptivity and remating in closely related Drosophila species. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2017; 99:67-77. [PMID: 28342762 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2017.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Revised: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 03/18/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In sexual species, mating success depends on the male's capacity to find sexual partners and on female receptivity to mating. Mating is under evolutionary constraints to prevent interspecific mating and to maximize the reproductive success of both sexes. In Drosophila melanogaster, female receptivity to mating is mainly controlled by Sex peptide (SP, i.e. Acp70A) produced by the male accessory glands with other proteins (Acps). The transfer of SP during copulation dramatically reduces female receptivity to mating and prevents remating with other males. To date, female postmating responses are well-known in D. melanogaster but have been barely investigated in closely-related species or strains exhibiting different mating systems (monoandrous versus polyandrous). Here, we describe the diversity of mating systems in two strains of D. melanogaster and the three species of the yakuba complex. Remating delay and sexual receptivity were measured in cross-experiments following SP orthologs or Acp injections within females. Interestingly, we discovered strong differences between the two strains of D. melanogaster as well as among the three species of the yakuba complex. These results suggest that reproductive behavior is under the control of complex sexual interactions between the sexes and evolves rapidly, even among closely-related species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Béatrice Denis
- Laboratoire Evolution, Génomes, Comportement, Ecologie, CNRS, IRD, Univ Paris-Sud and Université Paris-Saclay, F-91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
| | - Gaëlle Claisse
- Laboratoire Evolution, Génomes, Comportement, Ecologie, CNRS, IRD, Univ Paris-Sud and Université Paris-Saclay, F-91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
| | - Arnaud Le Rouzic
- Laboratoire Evolution, Génomes, Comportement, Ecologie, CNRS, IRD, Univ Paris-Sud and Université Paris-Saclay, F-91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
| | - Claude Wicker-Thomas
- Laboratoire Evolution, Génomes, Comportement, Ecologie, CNRS, IRD, Univ Paris-Sud and Université Paris-Saclay, F-91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
| | - Gildas Lepennetier
- Laboratoire Evolution, Génomes, Comportement, Ecologie, CNRS, IRD, Univ Paris-Sud and Université Paris-Saclay, F-91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
| | - Dominique Joly
- Laboratoire Evolution, Génomes, Comportement, Ecologie, CNRS, IRD, Univ Paris-Sud and Université Paris-Saclay, F-91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
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Okada K, Suzaki Y, Sasaki R, Katsuki M. Fitness costs of polyandry to female cigarette beetle Lasioderma serricorne. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2316-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Relationships between male attractiveness, female remating, and sperm competition in the cigarette beetle. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2229-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Hosseini SA, van Wijk M, Ke G, Goldansaz SH, Schal C, Groot AT. Experimental evidence for chemical mate guarding in a moth. Sci Rep 2016; 6:38567. [PMID: 27934963 PMCID: PMC5146913 DOI: 10.1038/srep38567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2016] [Accepted: 11/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In polyandrous species, males seek to maximize their reproductive output by monopolizing their mate. Often the male transfers substances to the female that suppress her sexual receptivity or antagonize the behavior of competing males; both are usually transferred in seminal fluids and represent forms of chemical mate guarding. In moths, more long-range female sex pheromones have been identified than in any other animal group, and males often display with close-range sex pheromones, yet odor-based post-copulatory mate guarding has not been described in moths so far. We tested the hypothesis that the male sex pheromone in the noctuid moth Heliothis virescens perfumes the female and functions as an anti-aphrodisiac. Indeed, virgin females perfumed with male pheromone extract, or with its main component, mated significantly less than control virgin females, and this effect persisted for two successive nights. This chemical mate guarding strategy was disadvantageous for H. virescens females, because the reproductive output of twice-mated females was significantly higher than that of once-mated females. Since the female and male sex pheromones are biosynthetically related in this and other moth species, chemical mate guarding may also impose selection pressure on the long-range female sex pheromone channel and consequently affect the evolution of sexual communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyed Ali Hosseini
- University of Amsterdam, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Michiel van Wijk
- University of Amsterdam, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,North Carolina State University, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Raleigh NC, USA
| | - Gao Ke
- University of Amsterdam, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Seyed Hossein Goldansaz
- University of Tehran, Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Karaj, Iran
| | - Coby Schal
- North Carolina State University, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Raleigh NC, USA
| | - Astrid T Groot
- University of Amsterdam, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,North Carolina State University, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Raleigh NC, USA.,Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Department of Entomology, Jena, Germany
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Al-Wathiqui N, Dopman EB, Lewis SM. Postmating transcriptional changes in the female reproductive tract of the European corn borer moth. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2016; 25:629-645. [PMID: 27329655 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Mating triggers a cascade of physiological and behavioural responses in females that persist after copulation. In insects, seminal fluid proteins contained within male ejaculates are known to initiate some responses, but our understanding of how females mediate these reactions remains limited. Few studies have examined postmating transcriptional changes within ejaculate-receiving organs within females or how these changes might depend on the identity of the male. Furthermore, whereas males of many insects transfer packaged ejaculates, transcriptional dynamics have mainly been examined in dipterans, in which males transfer a free ejaculate. To identify genes that may be important in mediating female physiological responses in a spermatophore-producing species, we sequenced the transcriptomes of the ejaculate-receiving organs and examined postmating gene expression within and between pheromone strains of the European corn borer (ECB) moth, Ostrinia nubilalis. After within-strain mating, significant differential expression of 978 transcripts occurred in the female bursa or its associated bursal gland, including peptidases, transmembrane transporters, and hormone processing genes; such genes may potentially play a role in postmating male-female interactions. We also identified 14 transcripts from the bursal gland that were differentially expressed after females mated with cross-strain males, representing candidates for previously observed postmating reproductive isolation between ECB strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Al-Wathiqui
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - E B Dopman
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - S M Lewis
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
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Malouines C. Counter-perfume: using pheromones to prevent female remating. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2016; 92:1570-1581. [PMID: 27554169 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2016] [Revised: 07/12/2016] [Accepted: 07/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Strong selection to secure paternity in polyandrous species leads to the evolution of numerous chemicals in the male's seminal content. These include antiaphrodisiac pheromones, which are transmitted from the male to the female during mating to render her unattractive to subsequent males. An increasing number of species have been shown to use these chemicals. Herein, I examine the taxonomic distribution of species using antiaphrodisiac pheromones, the selection pressures driving their evolution in both males and females, and the ecological interactions in which these pheromones are involved. The literature review shows a highly skewed distribution of antiaphrodisiac use; all species currently known to use them are insects with the exception of the garter snakes Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis and T. radix. Nonetheless, many taxa have not yet been tested for the presence of antiaphrodisiacs, in groups both closely and distantly related to species known to express them. Within the Insecta, there have been multiple cases of convergent evolution of antiaphrodisiac pheromones using different chemical compounds and methods of transmission. Antiaphrodisiacs usually benefit males, but their effect on females is variable as they can either prevent them from mating multiple times or help them reduce male harassment when they are unreceptive. Some indirect costs of antiaphrodisiacs also impact both males and females, but more research is needed to determine how general this pattern is. Additional research is also important to understand how antiaphrodisiacs interact with the reproductive biology and sexual communication in different species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Malouines
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, U.S.A
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Abraham S, Lara-Pérez LA, Rodríguez C, Contreras-Navarro Y, Nuñez-Beverido N, Ovruski S, Pérez-Staples D. The male ejaculate as inhibitor of female remating in two tephritid flies. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2016; 88:40-47. [PMID: 26949132 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2016.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2015] [Revised: 02/28/2016] [Accepted: 03/02/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The inhibition of female receptivity after copulation is usually related to the quality of the first mating. Males are able to modulate female receptivity through various mechanisms. Among these is the transfer of the ejaculate composed mainly by sperm and accessory gland proteins (AGPs). Here we used the South American fruit fly Anastrepha fraterculus (where AGP injections inhibit female receptivity) and the Mexican fruit fly Anastrepha ludens (where injection of AGPs failed to inhibit receptivity) as study organisms to test which mechanisms are used by males to prevent remating. In both species, neither the act of copulation without ejaculate transfer nor sperm stored inhibited female receptivity. Moreover, using multiply mated sterile and wild males in Mex flies we showed that the number of sperm stored by females varied according to male fertility status and number of previous matings, while female remating did not. We suggest female receptivity in both flies is inhibited by the mechanical and/or physiological effect of the full ejaculate. This finding brings us closer to understanding the mechanisms through which female receptivity can be modulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solana Abraham
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Ecoetológicas de Moscas de la Fruta y sus Enemigos Naturales (LIEMEN), PROIMI-Biotecnología CONICET, Tucumán, Argentina; INBIOTECA, Universidad Veracruzana, Av. de las Culturas Veracruzanas 101, Col. E. Zapata, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Luis A Lara-Pérez
- INBIOTECA, Universidad Veracruzana, Av. de las Culturas Veracruzanas 101, Col. E. Zapata, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Christian Rodríguez
- Instituto de Ecología A.C., Antigua Carretera a Coatepec, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | | | | | - Sergio Ovruski
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Ecoetológicas de Moscas de la Fruta y sus Enemigos Naturales (LIEMEN), PROIMI-Biotecnología CONICET, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Diana Pérez-Staples
- INBIOTECA, Universidad Veracruzana, Av. de las Culturas Veracruzanas 101, Col. E. Zapata, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.
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Xue HJ, Zhang B, Segraves KA, Wei JN, Nie RE, Song KQ, Liu J, Li WZ, Yang XK. Contact cuticular hydrocarbons act as a mating cue to discriminate intraspecific variation in Altica flea beetles. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.10.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Lane SM, Solino JH, Mitchell C, Blount JD, Okada K, Hunt J, House CM. Rival male chemical cues evoke changes in male pre- and post-copulatory investment in a flour beetle. Behav Ecol 2015; 26:1021-1029. [PMID: 26167098 PMCID: PMC4495758 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2014] [Revised: 03/06/2015] [Accepted: 03/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Males can gather information on the risk and intensity of sperm competition from their social environment. Recent studies have implicated chemosensory cues, for instance cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) in insects, as a key source of this information. Here, using the broad-horned flour beetle (Gnatocerus cornutus), we investigated the importance of contact-derived rival male CHCs in informing male perception of sperm competition risk and intensity. We experimentally perfumed virgin females with male CHCs via direct intersexual contact and measured male pre- and post-copulatory investment in response to this manipulation. Using chemical analysis, we verified that this treatment engendered changes to perfumed female CHC profiles, but did not make perfumed females "smell" mated. Despite this, males responded to these chemical changes. Males increased courtship effort under low levels of perceived competition (from 1-3 rivals), but significantly decreased courtship effort as perceived competition rose (from 3-5 rivals). Furthermore, our measurement of ejaculate investment showed that males allocated significantly more sperm to perfumed females than to control females. Together, these results suggest that changes in female chemical profile elicited by contact with rival males do not provide males with information on female mating status, but rather inform males of the presence of rivals within the population and thus provide a means for males to indirectly assess the risk of sperm competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Lane
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus , Cornwall TR10 9EZ , UK
| | - Joanna H Solino
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus , Cornwall TR10 9EZ , UK , ; Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Vector Control Department , Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA , UK
| | - Christopher Mitchell
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus , Cornwall TR10 9EZ , UK , ; Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury Campus , Penrith, New South Wales 2751 , Australia , and
| | - Jonathan D Blount
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus , Cornwall TR10 9EZ , UK
| | - Kensuke Okada
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecology, Graduate School of Environmental Science, Okayama University , Tsushima-naka 1-1-1, Okayama , Japan
| | - John Hunt
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus , Cornwall TR10 9EZ , UK
| | - Clarissa M House
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus , Cornwall TR10 9EZ , UK
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Yamane T, Goenaga J, Rönn JL, Arnqvist G. Male seminal fluid substances affect sperm competition success and female reproductive behavior in a seed beetle. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0123770. [PMID: 25893888 PMCID: PMC4404252 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0123770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2015] [Accepted: 02/27/2015] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Male seminal fluid proteins are known to affect female reproductive behavior and physiology by reducing mating receptivity and by increasing egg production rates. Such substances are also though to increase the competitive fertilization success of males, but the empirical foundation for this tenet is restricted. Here, we examined the effects of injections of size-fractioned protein extracts from male reproductive organs on both male competitive fertilization success (i.e., P2 in double mating experiments) and female reproduction in the seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus. We found that extracts of male seminal vesicles and ejaculatory ducts increased competitive fertilization success when males mated with females 1 day after the females’ initial mating, while extracts from accessory glands and testes increased competitive fertilization success when males mated with females 2 days after the females’ initial mating. Moreover, different size fractions of seminal fluid proteins had distinct and partly antagonistic effects on male competitive fertilization success. Collectively, our experiments show that several different seminal fluid proteins, deriving from different parts in the male reproductive tract and of different molecular weight, affect male competitive fertilization success in C. maculatus. Our results highlight the diverse effects of seminal fluid proteins and show that the function of such proteins can be contingent upon female mating status. We also document effects of different size fractions on female mating receptivity and egg laying rates, which can serve as a basis for future efforts to identify the molecular identity of seminal fluid proteins and their function in this model species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julieta Goenaga
- Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Göran Arnqvist
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- * E-mail:
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Meslin C, Plakke MS, Deutsch AB, Small BS, Morehouse NI, Clark NL. Digestive organ in the female reproductive tract borrows genes from multiple organ systems to adopt critical functions. Mol Biol Evol 2015; 32:1567-80. [PMID: 25725432 PMCID: PMC4572785 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msv048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Persistent adaptive challenges are often met with the evolution of novel physiological traits. Although there are specific examples of single genes providing new physiological functions, studies on the origin of complex organ functions are lacking. One such derived set of complex functions is found in the Lepidopteran bursa copulatrix, an organ within the female reproductive tract that digests nutrients from the male ejaculate or spermatophore. Here, we characterized bursa physiology and the evolutionary mechanisms by which it was equipped with digestive and absorptive functionality. By studying the transcriptome of the bursa and eight other tissues, we revealed a suite of highly expressed and secreted gene products providing the bursa with a combination of stomach-like traits for mechanical and enzymatic digestion of the male spermatophore. By subsequently placing these bursa genes in an evolutionary framework, we found that the vast majority of their novel digestive functions were co-opted by borrowing genes that continue to be expressed in nonreproductive tissues. However, a number of bursa-specific genes have also arisen, some of which represent unique gene families restricted to Lepidoptera and may provide novel bursa-specific functions. This pattern of promiscuous gene borrowing and relatively infrequent evolution of tissue-specific duplicates stands in contrast to studies of the evolution of novelty via single gene co-option. Our results suggest that the evolution of complex organ-level phenotypes may often be enabled (and subsequently constrained) by changes in tissue specificity that allow expression of existing genes in novel contexts, such as reproduction. The extent to which the selective pressures encountered in these novel roles require resolution via duplication and sub/neofunctionalization is likely to be determined by the need for specialized reproductive functionality. Thus, complex physiological phenotypes such as that found in the bursa offer important opportunities for understanding the relative role of pleiotropy and specialization in adaptive evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Meslin
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh
| | - Melissa S Plakke
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh
| | - Aaron B Deutsch
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh
| | - Brandon S Small
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh
| | | | - Nathan L Clark
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh
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Murayama G, Willemart R. Mode of use of sexually dimorphic glands in a Neotropical harvestman (Arachnida: Opiliones) with paternal care. J NAT HIST 2015. [DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2015.1006283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Friesen CR, Uhrig EJ, Mason RT. Females remate more frequently when mated with sperm-deficient males. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 321:603-9. [PMID: 25366702 DOI: 10.1002/jez.1892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2014] [Revised: 08/21/2014] [Accepted: 08/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Polyandry is a source of sexual conflict and males often try to limit female promiscuity. Consequently, male manipulation of receptivity via antiaphrodisiacs and copulatory plugs that prevent female remating can be a source of sexual conflict. This sexual conflict may be intensified when females must remate for fertility insurance. Male red-sided garter snakes produce a large, gelatinous copulatory plug that has been proposed to 1) physically prevent remating and 2) contain an antiaphrodisiac that reduces female receptivity. These males may become sperm depleted because of their dissociated reproductive pattern. If a female mates with a sperm deficient male and is also rendered unreceptive to further mating, then this represents a serious conflict. We tested whether female remating frequency is affected when females are mated with a male that produces a sperm-less copulatory plug. We show that females are significantly more likely to remate after mating with vasectomized males than intact males, even though vasectomized males still produce a copulatory plug. These results suggest that the ejaculate material of the plug does not contain an antiaphrodisiac. Instead, females may use sperm as a cue for post-copulatory mate assessment and seek to remate for the direct benefit of fertility insurance if they have mated with sperm-depleted males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R Friesen
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
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Santos M, Matos M, Varela SAM. Negative Public Information in Mate Choice Copying Helps the Spread of a Novel Trait. Am Nat 2014; 184:658-72. [DOI: 10.1086/678082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Sperm-depleted males influence the reproductive behaviour of conspecifics. Naturwissenschaften 2014; 101:875-82. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-014-1227-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2014] [Revised: 08/09/2014] [Accepted: 08/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Yamane T. Genetic variation in the effect of monoamines on female mating receptivity and oviposition in the adzuki bean beetle, Callosobruchus chinensis (Coleoptera: Bruchidae). BMC Evol Biol 2014; 14:172. [PMID: 25098756 PMCID: PMC4360256 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-014-0172-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2014] [Accepted: 07/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Female mate choice after mating is a strong force in sexual selection and could lead to coevolution of mating traits between the sexes. How females of different genotypes respond to substances in the male ejaculate should be mediated by females’ mate choices. Monoamines regulate animal physiology and behavior, including the post-mating behavior of females of the adzuki bean beetle, Callosobruchus chinensis (Coleoptera: Bruchidae). This study examined differences in females’ response to four monoamines (dopamine, octopamine, tyramine, serotonin) between strains from different populations of C. chinensis. Results Injection with either octopamine or tyramine, two kinds of monoamines significantly reduced female receptivity in two strains with low remating frequencies. None of the four monoamines reduced female receptivity in one strain with high remating frequencies. However, all monoamines reduced it in another strain with high remating frequencies. Oviposition was activated by tyramine on days 1–5 or by serotonin on days 4 and 5 in the two strains with low remating frequencies, but only on day 1 or day 4 in the strains with high remating frequencies. Conclusion These differences in female response to monoamines, especially tyramine and serotonin, correspond with results of previous studies. They indicate differences in female response to male substances that reduce receptivity and activate oviposition. These findings suggest relationships between the differences in female response to male substances among populations and mutations in the pathways of monoamine biosynthesis or transmission, which in turn determine female mate choice in response to male substances.
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Peso M, Elgar MA, Barron AB. Pheromonal control: reconciling physiological mechanism with signalling theory. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2014; 90:542-59. [PMID: 24925630 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2012] [Revised: 05/07/2014] [Accepted: 05/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Pheromones are intraspecific chemical signals. They can have profound effects on the behaviour and/or physiology of the receiver, and it is still common to hear pheromones described as controlling of the behaviour of the receiver. The discussion of pheromonal control arose initially from a close association between hormones and pheromones in the comparative physiological literature, but the concept of a controlling pheromone is at odds with contemporary signal evolution theory, which predicts that a manipulative pheromonal signal negatively affecting the receiver's fitness should not be stable over evolutionary time. Here we discuss the meaning of pheromonal control, and the ecological circumstances by which it might be supported. We argue that in discussing pheromonal control it is important to differentiate between control applied to the effects of a pheromone on a receiver's physiology (proximate control), and control applied to the effects of a pheromone on a receiver's fitness (ultimate control). Critically, a pheromone signal affecting change in the receiver's behaviour or physiology need not necessarily manipulate the fitness of a receiver. In cases where pheromonal signalling does lead to a reduction in the fitness of the receiver, the signalling system would be stable if the pheromone were an honest signal of a social environment that disadvantages the receiver, and the physiological and behavioural changes observed in the receiver were an adaptive response to the new social circumstances communicated by the pheromone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne Peso
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Building E8A, Eastern Road, North Ryde, New South Wales 2109, Australia
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Delle-Vedove R, Frérot B, Hossaert-McKey M, Beaudoin-Ollivier L. Courtship behavior of the castniid palm borer, Paysandisia archon: potential roles of male scents and visual cues in a day-flying moth. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2014; 14:52. [PMID: 25373199 PMCID: PMC4207509 DOI: 10.1093/jis/14.1.52] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2012] [Accepted: 10/28/2012] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The castniid palm borer, Paysandisia archon (Burmeister) (Lepidoptera: Castniidae), is a South American moth that in the last ten years has become a major pest of palm trees in the Mediterranean region. Current knowledge on the reproductive behavior of this diurnal moth suggests the importance of both visual and chemical cues, in particular the production of a male pheromone emitted during a specific scratching behavior. Male-produced scents have diverse functions in lepidopteran sexual communication but generally act during courtship behavior, leading to complex, stereotyped courtship sequences. As a first step to understand the cues involved in mating behavior and the role of male scents in male mating success, we quantified sequences of P. archon courtship behavior using video filming. To distinguish behaviors leading to an approach of both partners from those involved in short-range courtship, sequences were divided into "approach" and "interaction" phases. Quantifications and analyses were first made by NPMANOVA analysis of behavioral event frequencies, followed by flowchart construction using transition matrix probabilities. In 90% of the observations, courting activities led to copulation, but successful sequences were highly variable and could be divided into two categories, "rapid" and "prolonged" courtship sequences. In both categories, approaches were performed by males but depended strongly on female movements, especially on female flights. The significant behavioral differences were observed after the first contact (i.e., interaction phase) where, in rapid sequences, males generally acceded to copulation without displaying scratching behavior. Conversely, in prolonged sequences, the female expressed evading behavior and male scratching frequency increased. The possible roles of male scent emission in female mate choice and the importance of visual cues in the mating behavior of P. archon are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxane Delle-Vedove
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), UMR CNRS 5175, 1919 route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier cedex 5, France CIRAD, UPR Bioagresseurs, Avenue Agropolis F-34398 Montpellier, France
| | - Brigitte Frérot
- INRA Versailles, UMR PISC 1272, Route de St Cyr 78026 Versailles Cedex, France
| | - Martine Hossaert-McKey
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), UMR CNRS 5175, 1919 route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier cedex 5, France
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Engqvist L, Cordes N, Schwenniger J, Bakhtina S, Schmoll T. Female Remating Behavior in a Lekking Moth. Ethology 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Leif Engqvist
- Evolutionary Biology; Bielefeld University; Bielefeld Germany
| | - Nils Cordes
- Evolutionary Biology; Bielefeld University; Bielefeld Germany
| | | | | | - Tim Schmoll
- Evolutionary Biology; Bielefeld University; Bielefeld Germany
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Zimmer SM, Schneider JM, Herberstein ME. Can males detect the strength of sperm competition and presence of genital plugs during mate choice? Behav Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/aru045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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