Multiple male morphs in the leaf‐footed bug Mictis longicornis (Hemiptera: Coreidae)

Abstract

Species within the coreid clade (Hemiptera: Coreidae) can often be observed competing in intrasexual competitions over access to mates and territories. Coreids that partake in these competitions typically possess sexually dimorphic hind legs that are used to strike and squeeze their rivals. In addition to their weaponized legs, some coreid species also possess sexually dimorphic abdominal tubercles, which are assumed to be sexually selected weapons. Still, much remains unknown about the morphology of these structures. Here, using the species Mictis longicornis Westwood, we investigate the frequency distribution and static allometry of abdominal thickness, a measure that includes tubercle length. Furthermore, we also investigate the morphological relationship between abdominal tubercles and weaponized hind legs. We find that male abdominal thickness is best explained by a bimodal distribution, thereby describing the first observed male polymorphism in the coreid clade; a phenomenon typically associated with alternative reproductive tactics. Additionally, we find that major males are characterized primarily by having large weaponized legs and abdominal tubercles, which further suggests that abdominal tubercles are used in male–male competition.

Tunicate bulb size variation in monocots explained by temperature and phenology

“…Size plays a critical role in a number of physiological, developmental, ecological, and evolutionary processes across life's domains, with consequences at all levels of biological organization (Ackerly & Donoghue, ; Baker, Meade, Pagel, & Venditti, ; Hone & Benton, ; LaBarbera, ; Peters, ; Pimiento, Cantalapiedra, Shimada, Field, & Smaers, ; Rees, ; Testo & Watkins, ; Zotz, Hietz, & Schmidt, ). In animals, size differences correlate with prey selection (Boback, ; Deangelis & Coutant, ; Pimiento et al, ), mating and fighting tactics (Emberts, Miller, Li, Hwang, & St. Mary, ; Lailvaux, Herrel, Vanhooydonck, Meyers, & Irschick, ), metabolism (Gillooly, Brown, West, Savage, & Charnov, ; Reich, Tjoelker, Machado, & Oleksyn, ), ecological niches (Church, Donoughe, Medeiros, & Extavour, ; Pimiento et al, ), and fitness (Mammola, Milano, Vignal, Andrieu, & Isaia, ; Ollerton & Lack, ). In plants, cell size is dictated by genome size, and the increase in genome size can then act as a constraint on the rate at which physiological processes, such as mitosis and photosynthesis, can occur (Beaulieu, Leitch, Patel, Pendharkar, & Knight, ; Grime & Mowforth, ; Knight, Molinari, & Petrov, ).…”

The evolution of autotomy in leaf‐footed bugs

“…2016; Emberts et al. 2017b). Finally, leaf‐footed bugs vary dramatically in body size and have a cosmopolitan distribution.…”

Weapon performance drives weapon evolution

“…Among these 29 species, there is published evidence that weaponized hind legs are used in male-male combat in the following species: Acanthocephala declivis [23], Ac. femorata [20], Mictis profana [25], M. longicornis [34], Leptoscelis tricolor [24], Narnia femorata [26] and Leptoglossus gonagra (synonymous with Leptoglossus australis [22]). Moreover, our previous work [21] revealed several other species that had wing damage that was characteristic of male-male competition.…”