No reduction of female sexual receptivity following mating in a stalk-eyed fly, Cyrtodiopsis dalmanni (Diptera: Diopsidae)

Abstract

Abstract The level of female sexual receptivity is an important component of male and female reproductive success. In many insects, mating itself causes a sharp decline in female receptivity. This can be a direct result of the physical act of mating, or because of actions of sperm or seminal fluid proteins. The degree to which males can decrease female receptivity will directly affect their reproductive success, by altering the chance that their sperm will be used in fertilizations in the interval before the female mates again. In this study, we investigated the effect of mating on female receptivity in the sexually dimorphic stalk-eyed fly, Cyrtodiopsis dalmanni. Our results showed no evidence for mating-induced reductions in female receptivity. In addition, we found that matings with males that differed in eyespan did not cause differences in the level of female receptivity. There was also no evidence that females remated sooner when presented with large eyespan males. These results are surprising, given the indirect benefits that females gain from matings with large eyespan males. Finally we demonstrate that males do not appear to discriminate between females on the basis of female mating status.