Last‐male sperm precedence does not break down when females mate with three males

Eady, Paul E.; Tubman, Simon C.

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2311.1996.tb01249.x

Cited by 25 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…It is not clear why P2 declines almost linearly to below 0.50 in T. molitor over 16 days since the competing matings (Siva-Jothy et al, 1996), yet there is no difference in the patterns when intermating intervals are either 10 min or 24 h. We do not find that third-male precedence values are significantly different from second-male (in the two-male experiments) values produced under the one-day inter-mating interval experiment and accordingly our results are consistent with the findings of Lewis & Jutkiewicz (1998). Similar P3 and P2 results were found in the bruchid Callosobruchus maculatus (Eady & Tubman, 1996). Our finalmale precedence results in the three-male experiments show characteristic high last-male precedence which begins to decline with time ( Figure 3).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

“…In the pseudoscor-pion Cordylochernes scorpioides, the two-male sperm precedence pattern breaks down when a third male is introduced to the competition (Zeh & Zeh, 1994). However, in the bruchid Callosobruchus maculatus last males achieve similar last-male precedence patterns whether two or three males enter the competition (Eady & Tubman, 1996). In T. castaneum females behave polyandrously (Sokoloff, 1974) and it is therefore appropriate to examine P3 and beyond.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The dynamics of second‐ and third‐male fertilization precedence in Tribolium castaneum

Arnaud

Gage

Haubruge

2001

Entomologia Exp Applicata

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Sperm precedence is a useful descriptor of the outcome and possible processes of sperm competition between (usually) two males. Although sperm precedence values are known for a variety of taxa, a characteristic feature has been the profound, and largely unexplained, variance in precedence. In this study we partition some of the precedence variance in Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae) by examining how: (1) sperm precedence changes with time over a one-month oviposition period, (2) precedence is influenced by the relative timing of the two competitive mating periods, and (3) sperm precedence is affected when three, rather than the normal two, males are placed in sperm competition. In general, last male sperm precedence is high (≈ 90%) for the first few days after mating, but this changes significantly with time as previous males' sperm become used in fertilization. We find that the duration between two competitive mating bouts has a significant effect on precedence (even when relatively brief): longer intervals between mating bouts result in more complete and persistent last-male sperm precedence. The dynamics of last-male sperm precedence when there are three males in the competition are not significantly different to precedence results when only two males are in competition. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that, soon after inseminations, male ejaculates 'stratify' in the narrow and elongate storage tubules of the spermatheca. With time we see increased variance in individual male precedence as sperm from previous matings achieve more fertilizations. This change over time may result from depletion (either via fertilizations or passive/active sperm loss) of the last males' sperm and/or increased mixing of different males' sperm within the spermatheca.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The dynamics of second‐ and third‐male fertilization precedence in Tribolium castaneum

Arnaud

Gage

Haubruge

2001

Entomologia Exp Applicata

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“…There is some evidence from pseudo-scorpions and wasps that sperm-use patterns can change following multiple matings by a female (Wilkes 1966;Zeh & Zeh 1994). Although similar patterns have not been con¢rmed in beetles (Eady & Tubman 1996;Lewis & Jutkiewicz 1998) it may be possible that the mechanism generating the observed patterns of sperm use changes after females have mated multiply, so that larger ejaculates may then perform better than small ejaculates. Further experiments are required using molecular markers for examining sperm use following matings by more than two males.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Sperm competition games played by dimorphic male beetles: fertilization gains with equal mating access

Tomkins

Simmons

2000

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B

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Alternative mating tactics can generate asymmetry in the sperm competition risk between males within species. Theory predicts that adaptations to sperm competition should arise in males facing the greater risk. This prediction is met in the dung beetle Onthophagus binodis where minor males which sneak copulations have a greater expenditure on the ejaculate. In its congener Onthophagus taurus there is a reduced asymmetry in sperm competition risk such that both tactics have equal ejaculate expenditure. We used the irradiated male technique to test whether adaptations to sperm competition in minor males result in higher paternity. We found that for both species, on average, each of two males gained equal numbers of fertilizations, con¢rming the assumption that sperm compete in a ra¥e. There were no di¡erences in the sperm competition success of major and minor males in O. taurus as predicted from their equal expenditure on their ejaculate. Contrary to expectations, there were also no di¡erences in fertilization success between the male tactics in O. binodis. Thus, in O. binodis minor males must expend more on their ejaculate in order to obtain the same fertilization gains as major males.

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“…However, this mating-order pattern disappears when females mate with three males, with each male fertilising a similar number of eggs (Zeh and Zeh 1994). In contrast, the number of mating partners does not change the pattern of first-male sperm precedence in the sierra dome spider, Neriene litigiosa (Watson 1991), or last-male sperm precedence in the beetles Tribolium castaneum (Arnaud et al 2001) and Callosobruchus maculatus (Lady and Tubman 1996). Nevertheless, the study by Zeh and Zeh (1994) suggests that it is unwise to infer patterns of sperm usage in matings involving more than two males from conventional double-mating experiments (Elgar 1998).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Male mate choice and patterns of paternity in the polyandrous, sexually cannibalistic orb-web spider, Nephila plumipes

Elgar¹,

Bruce²,

Crespigny³

et al. 2003

Aust. J. Zool.

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Studies that investigate patterns of paternity in polyandrous species typically employ double-mating trials, in which the paternity share of each male is established by either the sterile male technique or using genetic markers. However, polyandrous females may mate with more than two males and, in some species, triple-mating trials produce different patterns of paternity from double-mating trials. We investigated patterns of paternity share in triple-mating trials of the sexually cannibalistic orb-web spider Nephila plumipes. These experiments reveal little quantitative changes to paternity share when more than two males mate with the female; the third male apparently diluted the fertilisation success of the second male but not of the first male. Sexual cannibalism had little impact on the fertilisation success of the first male, but greatly increased the fertilisation success of the third male. When offered a choice, males did not prefer to mate with virgin over mated females, but males that chose virgin females were significantly heavier than those that chose mated females.Z O 0 2 0 7 9 M a t e c h o i c e a n d p a t e r n i t y i n o r b -w e b s p i d e r s M . A . E l g a r e t a l .

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Last‐male sperm precedence does not break down when females mate with three males

Cited by 25 publications

References 6 publications

The dynamics of second‐ and third‐male fertilization precedence in Tribolium castaneum

The dynamics of second‐ and third‐male fertilization precedence in Tribolium castaneum

Sperm competition games played by dimorphic male beetles: fertilization gains with equal mating access

Male mate choice and patterns of paternity in the polyandrous, sexually cannibalistic orb-web spider, Nephila plumipes

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