Male wing shape differs between condition-dependent alternative reproductive tactics in territorial damselflies

Abstract

Territorial contests between males without weaponry are based on costly displays and can result in condition-dependent alternative reproductive tactics that maximize male fitness. Physiological and morphological traits such as fat content, body size or the expression of secondary sexual traits have been shown to contribute to male territory-holding potential. When territorial contests are based on flight displays, wing morphology is expected to contribute to the territory-holding potential of a male through its effects on flight performance. We explored whether wing shape contributed to the territory-holding potential of males of three species of Calopteryx damselflies. Males of these species show two distinct, condition-dependent behavioural tactics: territorial and nonterritorial. Previous studies have shown that territorial males have higher fitness than nonterritorial males. We used mark–recapture to determine male tactics within the populations and compared wing shape, size and wing coloured spot size (a secondary sexual trait) between tactics. Territorial males of all three species had shorter and slightly broader hindwings than nonterritorial males. In two species, forewings of territorial males were longer and broader than forewings of nonterritorial males. Wing size and wing spot size did not differ between tactics. We suggest that the wing shape of territorial males might confer better flight manoeuvrability, which would be advantageous for territorial contests. Therefore, wing shape is likely to be an important trait contributing to territory-holding potential in condition-dependent alternative reproductive tactics based on flight displays.