Sperm precedence in monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus)

Solensky, Michelle J.; Oberhauser, Karen S.

doi:10.1093/beheco/arp003

Cited by 11 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…This notion is strongly supported by empirical evidence, as in butterflies, paternity success typically increases with body mass (at least if being related to spermatophore mass), with spermatophore mass and with sperm numbers (Rutowski et al . ; Oberhauser ; Bissoondath & Wiklund , ; Wedell ; Wedell & Cook ; Gage & Morrow ; Solensky & Oberhauser ). While in general spermatophore size, sperm number and quality are predicted to decrease with age (Kaitala & Wiklund ; Cook & Wedell ; Wedell & Ritchie ; Marcotte et al .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Second, paternity success typically increases with the number of sperm transferred upon mating, in turn selecting for larger body and spermatophore mass (for insects e.g. Bissoondath & Wiklund ; Wedell & Cook ; Gage & Morrow ; Solensky & Oberhauser ). In general, spermatophore size, sperm number and quality are predicted to decrease with the growing age in insects, mainly due to prior matings (Kaitala & Wiklund ; Cook & Wedell ; Wedell & Ritchie ; Marcotte et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Old‐male paternity advantage is a function of accumulating sperm and last‐male precedence in a butterfly

Kehl¹,

Karl²,

Fischer³

2013

Molecular Ecology

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Old-male mating advantage has been convincingly demonstrated in Bicyclus anynana butterflies. This intriguing pattern may be explained by two alternative hypotheses: (i) an increased aggressiveness and persistence of older males during courtship, being caused by the older males' low residual reproductive value; and (ii) an active preference of females towards older males what reflects a good genes hypothesis. Against this background, we here investigate postcopulatory sexual selection by double-mating Bicyclus anynana females to older and younger males, thus allowing for sperm competition and cryptic mate choice, and by genotyping the resulting offspring. Virgin females were mated with a younger virgin (2-3 days old) and afterwards an older virgin male (12-13 days old) or vice versa. Older males had a higher paternity success than younger ones, but only when being the second (=last) mating partner, while paternity success was equal among older and younger males when older males were the first mating partner. Older males produced larger spermatophores with much higher numbers of fertile sperm than younger males. Thus, we found no evidence for cryptic female mate choice. Rather, the findings reported here seem to result from a combination of last-male precedence and the number of sperm transferred upon mating, both increasing paternity success.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Old‐male paternity advantage is a function of accumulating sperm and last‐male precedence in a butterfly

Kehl¹,

Karl²,

Fischer³

2013

Molecular Ecology

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“…In contrast, if antiaphrodisiacs are occasionally present in sexually receptive females (or depleted in still unreceptive females), there is a conflict of interest between the signaler and the receiver (other males) resulting in selection for changes in the pheromone and the receiver's ability to assess females’ receptivity (Arak and Enquist 1995). In Lepidoptera, last‐male copulations have considerable sperm precedence in egg fertilization (Boggs 1979; Bissoondath and Wiklund 1997; Solensky and Oberhauser 2009). Thus the potential for intrasexual selection might arise under circumstances in which ignoring this signal and persisting courting mated females could offer a slim chance for copulation.…”

Section: A Model Of Antiaphrodisiac Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sexual Selection Drives the Evolution of Antiaphrodisiac Pheromones in Butterflies

et al. 2011

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Competition for mates has resulted in sophisticated mechanisms of male control over female reproduction. Antiaphrodisiacs are pheromones transferred from males to females during mating that reduce attractiveness of females to subsequent courting males.Antiaphrodisiacs generally help unreceptive females reduce male harassment. However, lack of control over pheromone release by females and male control over the amount transferred provides males an opportunity to use antiaphrodisiacs to delay remating by females that have returned to a receptive state. We propose a model for the evolution of antiaphrodisiacs under the influence of intrasexual selection, and determine whether changes in this signal in 11 species of Heliconius butterflies are consistent with two predictions of the model. First, we find that as predicted, male-contributed chemical mixtures are complex and highly variable across species, with limited phylogenetic signal. Second, differences in rates of evolution in pheromone composition between two major clades of Heliconius are as expected: the clade with a greater potential for male-male competition (polyandrous) shows a faster rate of divergence than the one with typically monoandrous mating system. Taken together, our results provide evidence that for females, antiaphrodisiacs can be both honest signals of receptivity (helping reduce harassment) and chastity belts (a male-imposed reduction in remating). K E Y W O R D S :Female mating receptivity, Heliconius, male-male competition, male control on female reproduction, sexual conflict, signal evolution.Male control over female mating frequency is common in nature and involves remarkable morphological, behavioral, and physiological adaptations aimed at manipulating female receptivity or discouraging advances by other males (e.g., Parker 1970, Simmons 2001. Common mechanisms include the transfer of seminal fluid proteins, donation of nuptial gifts, formation of mating plugs, and mate guarding (Thornhill and Alcock 1983;Simmons 2001). The evolution of such strategies is the result of selection on males to reduce sperm competition when females mate repeatedly within a breeding period. Females often obtain direct

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“…That male ejaculates are costly is shown by the fact that copulation durations were longer and ejaculates smaller (Sv€ ard & Wiklund 1986;Oberhauser 1988) and contain lower amounts of nutrients (Wedell & Karlsson 2003) in matings involving recently mated males. In polyandrous butterflies, larger males have elevated paternity (Bissoondath & Wiklund 1997;Wedell & Cook 1998;Solensky & Oberhauser 2009), as they can transfer larger ejaculates that delay female remating for a longer time compared to small ejaculates (Oberhauser 1989(Oberhauser , 1992Wiklund et al 1993;Kaitala & Wiklund 1994;Wiklund & Kaitala 1995;Bissoondath & Wiklund 1997). Larger ejaculates can also contain more sperm (Sv€ ard & Wiklund 1989; but see Cook & Wedell 1996) favouring larger spermatophores under sperm competition.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Male butterflies use an anti‐aphrodisiac pheromone to tailor ejaculates

et al. 2015

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Summary1. When females mate with multiple partners, the risk of sperm competition depends on female mating history. To maximize fitness, males should adjust their mating investment according to this risk. In polyandrous butterflies, males transfer a large, nutritious ejaculate at mating. Larger ejaculates delay female remating and confer an advantage in sperm competition. 2. We test whether male ejaculate size in the butterfly Pieris napi (Lepidoptera) varies with female mating history and thus sperm competition, and whether males assess sperm competition using the male-transferred anti-aphrodisiac methyl salicylate (MeS) as a cue. 3. Both sexes responded physiologically to MeS in a dose-dependent manner. Males, however, were more sensitive to MeS than females. 4. Ejaculates transferred by males mating with previously mated females were on average 26% larger than ejaculates transferred by males mating with virgin females, which conforms to sperm competition theory and indicates that males tailored their reproductive investment in response to sperm competition. Furthermore, ejaculates transferred by males mating with virgin females with artificially added MeS were also 26% larger than ejaculates transferred to control virgin females. 5. Male-transferred anti-aphrodisiac pheromone not only functions as a male deterrent, but also carries information on female mating history and thus allows males to assess sperm competition.

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Sperm precedence in monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus)

Cited by 11 publications

References 45 publications

Old‐male paternity advantage is a function of accumulating sperm and last‐male precedence in a butterfly

Old‐male paternity advantage is a function of accumulating sperm and last‐male precedence in a butterfly

Sexual Selection Drives the Evolution of Antiaphrodisiac Pheromones in Butterflies

Male butterflies use an anti‐aphrodisiac pheromone to tailor ejaculates

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