Abstract
SEXUAL differences in courtship roles are thought to depend on the ratio of sexually available females to males1–3. This 'operational sex ratio'3 should be biased towards the sex investing least in reproduction because they will have the higher potential reproductive rate4. Thus relative parental investment1,2 is thought to underlie observed courtship roles. Typically, males have the lower investment and compete for choosy females2,3,5. But role reversal can occur when males invest parentally2,3. Recent evidence supports the contentions that role reversal reflects shifts in the potential reproductive rates of males and females4and shifts in the operational sex ratio6. Cases of male investment exceeding female investment in role-reversed species have not been found. In some insects, males invest in reproduction by providing the female with nutrients used for zygote production7,8. Here I report the measurement of male and female investment in reproduction for a nutrient-provisioning bush cricket (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) and demonstrate that reversals in relative parental investment underlie courtship role reversals seen in this species6,9.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
