Some take it cool, some like it hot—A comaprative study of male mate searching tactics in two species of hymenoptera (colletidae and sphecidae)

Larsson, Folke K.

doi:10.1016/0306-4565(91)90051-3

Cited by 19 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…For example, in the burrowing bee Amegilla dawsoni, larger males face a much higher risk of predation and wing damage owing to male-tomale combat, which leads to a shorter lifespan than that of smaller males (Alcock, 1996b). Larsson also found a correlation between small-male mating success and increasing temperature in the sphecid wasp Bembix rostrata (Larsson, 1991). Lack of or weak directional selection on male size -selecting for males of intermediate sizeseems typical of bees in which, like O. rufa, males practice scramble competition for females (Paxton, 2005).…”

Section: Discussion the Importance Of Sizementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The biggest male is usually the strongest and most vigorous, and females are therefore thought to be under selection to choose the biggest (Eickwort and Ginsberg, 1980). However, there are several examples in hymenopteran insects in which females select smaller males over larger males (Alcock, 1996b;Larsson, 1991). There is also evidence that size does not play such an important role in mate selection in O. rufa (Seidelmann, 1995).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Female choice in the red mason bee,Osmia rufa(L.) (Megachilidae)

Conrad

Paxton²,

Barth

et al. 2010

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARYFemales are often thought to use several cues and more than one modality in selection of a mate, possibly because they offer complementary information on a mate's suitability. In the red mason bee, Osmia rufa, we investigated the criteria a female uses to choose a mating partner. We hypothesized that the female uses male thorax vibrations and size as signs of male viability and male odor for kin discrimination and assessment of genetic relatedness. We therefore compared males that had been accepted by a female for copulation with those rejected, in terms of their size, their immediate precopulatory vibrations (using laser vibrometry), the genetic relatedness of unmated and mated pairs (using microsatellite markers) and emitted volatiles (using chemical analyses). Females showed a preference for intermediate-sized males that were slightly larger than the modal male size. Furthermore, male precopulatory vibration burst duration was significantly longer in males accepted for copulation compared with rejected males. Vibrations may indicate vigor and assure that males selected by females are metabolically active and healthy. Females preferentially copulated with males that were genetically more closely related, possibly to avoid outbreeding depression. Volatiles of the cuticular surface differed significantly between accepted and rejected males in the relative amounts of certain hydrocarbons, although the relationship between male odor and female preference was complex. Females may therefore also use differences in odor bouquet to select among males. Our investigations show that O. rufa females appear to use multiple cues in selecting a male. Future investigations are needed to demonstrate whether odor plays a role in kin recognition and how the multiple cues are integrated in mate choice by females. Supplementary material available online at

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Section: Discussion the Importance Of Sizementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Female choice in the red mason bee,Osmia rufa(L.) (Megachilidae)

Conrad

Paxton²,

Barth

et al. 2010

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…Temperature strongly affects the life of insects including numerous behavioral and physiological processes such as flying ability, mating behavior, and especially the duration of development and survival of larvae (Borrell and Medeiros, 2004;Grafton-Cardwell et al, 2005;Larsson, 1991;Woods et al, 2005). Ground nesting insects like many wasp, bee, and ant species probably depend more on soil temperature than on air temperature with regard to nest-site selection, daily activity patterns, as well as foraging success and sex allocation (e.g., Cameron et al, 1996;Crist and Williams, 1999;Potts and Willmer, 1997;Strohm and Linsenmair, 1998;Vogt et al, 2003;Wuellner, 1999).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The influence of soil temperature on the nesting cycle of the halictid bee Lasioglossum malachurum

et al. 2006

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The physiology and behavior of ectothermic organisms is strongly influenced by temperature. For ground nesting species like the primitively eusocial halictid bee, Lasioglossum malachurum, soil temperature might influence the life cycle as well as the complexity of the social group since the number of broods that can be fitted into the flight season might increase with increasing temperature. Our study population of L. malachurum at Wuerzburg exhibits a remarkable variability with respect to the number of broods and the pattern of sexual production. Broods are separated by activity pauses during which the larvae develop. In this study we investigate the influence of soil temperature on the pattern of nesting activity (duration of broods and pauses) and on the number of broods in L. malachurum. We observed a total of 1138 nests in 13 aggregations near Wuerzburg. As expected, soil temperature shortened the duration of the pauses, resulting in an overall shortening of the nesting cycle. This is most probably due to a physiological effect of soil temperature on the development of the larvae. With regard to the nesting strategies, we hypothesized that a shortening of the nesting cycle within the limited flight season should enhance the success of a strategy with more worker broods. In fact, patches with higher soil temperature showed more broods. However, this effect was rather weak, suggesting that other factors might have a stronger impact on the variability in nesting strategy within our study population of L. malachurum.

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“…Hanks et al (1996) showed in a beetle species that walking speed increases with body size. Larsson (1991) documented in a bee species that larger males have a higher flight ability due to enhanced thermoregulation. Generally, insect males with larger body size may have higher mobility, which does not necessarily result in higher mating success.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Mating success in the spittlebug Cercopis sanguinolenta (Scopoli, 1763) (Homoptera, Cercopidae): the role of body size and mobility

Biedermann

2002

J Ethol

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In insects, a sexual size dimorphism commonly occurs, with larger females. However, as a deviation from this general rule, larger males are found in some species. In these species often sexual selection for large males has been presumed. The spittlebug Cercopis sanguinolenta exhibits a distinct sexual size dimorphism with larger males. Mating behaviour was studied in a field population in respect to mating success of males and females. The aim of this study was to examine the mechanisms that lead to the observed non-random mating pattern. The results showed a mating pattern without size-assortative mating. A correlation was found between mating success and body size in males. In females no such correlation was found. The mobility of males depends on their body size and mobility is high only when females are present. However, in an analysis of covariance it was found that male mating success is not correlated with mobility, when controlled for body size. The mating system of the spittlebug was classified as scramble competition polygyny.

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Some take it cool, some like it hot—A comaprative study of male mate searching tactics in two species of hymenoptera (colletidae and sphecidae)

Cited by 19 publications

References 17 publications

Female choice in the red mason bee,Osmia rufa(L.) (Megachilidae)

Female choice in the red mason bee,Osmia rufa(L.) (Megachilidae)

The influence of soil temperature on the nesting cycle of the halictid bee Lasioglossum malachurum

Mating success in the spittlebug Cercopis sanguinolenta (Scopoli, 1763) (Homoptera, Cercopidae): the role of body size and mobility

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