Modeling male reproductive strategies and optimal mate number in an orb-web spider

Rittschof, Clare C.; Hilber, Samantha A.; Tudor, Mladen; Mary, Colette M. St.

doi:10.1093/beheco/arr142

Cited by 17 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…Although variation in female quality can promote male mate choice (Darwin 1871;Bonduriansky 2001), simulation studies suggest that there are often costs to males attempting to mate with multiple females, which reduces the number of mates (Rittschof et al 2012). Compared to species with complex social characteristics (e.g., male parental care, sex role reversal, or cooperative breeding), costs associated with multiple matings are often lower in species that have limited social characteristics (Trivers 1972;Clutton-Brock 1991;CluttonBrock and Vincent 1991;Hauber and Lacey 2005).…”

Section: Components Of Male Reproductive Successmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Determining the relative importance of mate number and quality to male RS can be complicated by complex social environments (Jeswiet et al 2012) that include factors such as parental care, costly courtship rituals, nuptial gifts, and access to high-quality resources associated with mates (Emlen and Oring 1977;Dewsbury 1982;Schubert et al 2009a;Dreiss et al 2010;Salehialavi et al 2011;Rittschof et al 2012). The combination of simple courtship behaviors, lack of pair bonding, and no post-ovulatory parental care found in painted turtles (Chrysemys picta marginata; Wilbur and Morin 1988) provides an opportunity to examine the relative importance of mate quality and number on male RS in a longlived iteroparous species in the absence of the confounding interactions associated with complex social factors.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Female reproductive qualities affect male painted turtle (Chrysemys picta marginata) reproductive success

McGuire

Congdon

Scribner

et al. 2014

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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Male reproductive success (RS) in polygamous species with minimal social systems is often determined by the number of mates. However, because male RS is translated through females, the number of offspring sired can also be influenced by female qualities. Empirically sufficient data to document how tradeoffs between mate number and quality influence male RS are seldom available for long-lived, iteroparous species. We combined long-term life history data on the E. S. George Reserve (ESGR, MI, USA) with parentage data from 155 clutches of 59 female painted turtles (Chrysemys picta marginata) of varying reproductive frequencies (2003)(2004)(2005)(2006) to determine the relative contribution of female numbers and qualities on male RS. One previously documented trait of female painted turtles that can have substantial influences on male RS is repeat paternity through the use of stored sperm to fertilize over 95 % of within-year clutches. In addition, our study found that second-clutch producing female painted turtles on the ESGR have higher among-year reproductive frequencies than do first-clutch only females. Multiple paternity was detected in 14.1 % of clutches (min-max=6.1-30.0 % annually), and the number of mates of both sexes was low annually (males 1.0; females 1.2) and over 4 years (males 1.1; females 1.7). Among successful males, RS varied substantially (1-32 offspring) and was strongly influenced by the combination of female reproductive frequency and repeat paternity (>38 % among years), but not mate number. Low mate number for both sexes was unexpected in a species without complex mating behaviors or parental care.

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Section: Components Of Male Reproductive Successmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Female reproductive qualities affect male painted turtle (Chrysemys picta marginata) reproductive success

McGuire

Congdon

Scribner

et al. 2014

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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“…These elements are part of an evolutionary scenario resulting in very low male mating rates (Fromhage, Elgar, & Schneider, 2005;Fromhage, Jacobs, & Schneider, 2007) and males may benefit from conditional strategies involving variable mating investment, depending on the value of a female (Fromhage & Schneider, 2012). Using a theoretical approach, Rittschof, Hilber, Tudor, and St Mary (2012) have evaluated potential mating strategies in Nephila clavipes, a species similar in reproductive biology to our study species. Taking into consideration the potentially varying competition in natural mating systems, as well as seasonal effects, the model suggested that males adopt size-related mating strategies (e.g.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Differential investment and size-related mating strategies facilitate extreme size variation in contesting male spiders

Neumann

Schneider

2015

Animal Behaviour

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“…data), and the age at which we tested males in laboratory mating trials (up to 43 d) greatly exceeded the time at which males survive under natural conditions. Timing of reproduction is known to negatively affect spider reproductive success (Rittschof et al 2012), and the value of future mating is expected to decrease as the males get older. Moreover, we kept spiders isolated except for mating trials, and males would have experienced an extremely low mate encounter rate (roughly a single female every two weeks).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Spider monogyny and sperm depletion might be an optimal male mating strategy, at least under particular conditions (Rittschof et al 2012). Firstly, ejaculate costs may not be trivial, limiting sperm production (Dewsbury 1982;Michalik & Rittschof 2011).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Hogna radiatamales do not deplete their sperm in a single mating

Fernández-Montraveta

Cuadrado

2013

Journal of Arachnology

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Abstract. To the extent that sperm production or mating opportunities are limited, males are expected to allocate their sperm optimally, so as to increase their overall fitness. Among spiders, sperm depletion and monogyny are known to be optimal male mating decisions either under strong sperm competition or as terminal investment strategies, when future mating opportunities are limited. In a medium-sized wolf spider, Hogna radiata (Latreille 1817), we investigated sperm depletion, terminal sperm investment and the potential for sperm competition in laboratory mating trials in which we allowed males and females to pair sequentially with two mates. Males mated with as many females as they encountered. We found no evidence of sperm depletion or terminal sperm investment, as mating duration and female fitness were unaffected by male mating history or age. Polyandry was rare and did not involve any clear fitness benefit to females, whereas premating sexual cannibalism was a rather common outcome of mating interactions involving inseminated females. Our results indicate that H. radiata males are not sperm limited and support the hypothesis that the potential for sperm competition shapes the evolution of sperm allocation in this species. Monandrous females do not incur any fitness cost and could potentially benefit from cannibalizing their prospective mates.

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Modeling male reproductive strategies and optimal mate number in an orb-web spider

Cited by 17 publications

References 68 publications

Female reproductive qualities affect male painted turtle (Chrysemys picta marginata) reproductive success

Female reproductive qualities affect male painted turtle (Chrysemys picta marginata) reproductive success

Differential investment and size-related mating strategies facilitate extreme size variation in contesting male spiders

Hogna radiatamales do not deplete their sperm in a single mating

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