Ontogenetic shifts in male mating preference and morph-specific polyandry in a female colour polymorphic insect

Adolfo Cordero-Rivera,Bengt Hansson,Maren Wellenreuther,Dalia Ivette Galicia Mendoza,Rosa Ana Sánchez-Guillén,Hans Van Gossum,Martijn Hammers

doi:10.1186/1471-2148-13-116

Adolfo Cordero-Rivera, Bengt Hansson + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2148-13-116

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Abstract

BackgroundSexual conflict over mating rates may favour the origin and maintenance of phenotypes with contrasting reproductive strategies. The damselfly Ischnura elegans is characterised by a female colour polymorphism that consists of one androchrome and two gynochrome female morphs. Previous studies have shown that the polymorphism is genetic and to a high extent maintained by negative frequency-dependent mating success that varies temporally and spatially. However, the role of learning in male mating preferences has received little attention. We used molecular markers to investigate differences in polyandry between female morphs. In addition, we experimentally investigated innate male mating preferences and experience-dependent shifts in male mating preferences for female morphs.ResultsField and molecular data show that androchrome females were less polyandrous than gynochrome females. Interestingly, we found that naïve males showed significantly higher sexual preferences to androchrome than to gynochrome females in experimental trials. In contrast, experienced males showed no preference for androchrome females.ConclusionsThe ontogenetic change in male mate preferences occurs most likely because of learned mate recognition after experience with females, which in this case does not result in a preference for one of the morphs, but rather in the loss of an innate preference for androchrome females.

Highlights

Sexual conflict over mating rates may favour the origin and maintenance of phenotypes with contrasting reproductive strategies
The maintenance of female-limited colour polymorphisms in damselflies has been explained by sexual conflict over mating rates e.g. [8,9]
Our results indicate that I. elegans males lose their innate preference for androchrome females and, once they gather experience with females, either show a preference for gynochrome females or no preference for morph type

Summary

Introduction

Sexual conflict over mating rates may favour the origin and maintenance of phenotypes with contrasting reproductive strategies. The maintenance of female-limited colour polymorphisms in damselflies has been explained by sexual conflict over mating rates e.g. Accurate quantifications of mating costs in wild damselfly populations are difficult to obtain, it seems likely that females suffer fitness costs from excessive male mating harassment, since sexual interactions and copulations reduce foraging time and/or increase the risks of injuries and predation [11,12]. Mating behaviour more generally, are costly to females [13] and if one or few matings suffice for the lifetime fertilization of eggs [14], females are expected to limit their mating frequency. Female damselflies usually mate several times during their reproductive lifespan, and sometimes even several times before each oviposition [15]

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