Abstract
Water mites of the genus Arrenurus vary in male sexual dimorphism and in sperm transfer behaviour. Although it is a very large genus (≈800 spp.), mating behaviour has been described for only a few species. Here sperm transfer behaviour is described for the first time in a North American species, Arrenurus manubriator. Behaviour patterns can be divided into pre‐pairing (readiness posture and cauda presentation), pre‐deposition (high vertical jerking, low vertical shaking, striking/stroking and slow lateral waving), spermatophore deposition, sperm translocation, post‐deposition (striking/stroking. slow lateral waving, ‘tick‐rock’, shuttling, violent shaking), and separation. Males deposited 8–21 spermatophores in a mating. Pairs remained together for up to 31/2h. Possible adaptive functions of male courtship behaviour are discussed, including the hypothesis that male intromittant organs evolved in Arrenurus to circumvent female choice.
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