Abstract
The sexually dimorphic hind legs of Acanthocephala declivis guatemalana are used for different functions in males and females, and they scale differently on body size. The hind legs of males are used to deliver powerful squeezes to other males in battles at feeding and mating sites, and the diameter of the hind femur and the length of its large tooth are proportionally larger in large males compared with other body characters. The largest tooth on the female hind femur probably functions in the less forceful female–female battles, and it is also proportionally larger in large females. However, neither the female hind tibial plate, which is used as an aggressive signaling device, nor the diameter of the female hind femur are proportionally larger in large females. Wing wear and breakage of hind leg spines, combined with behavioral observations of marked bugs, indicate that the breeding system combines elements of resource defense polygyny and lek polygyny. Females mate more than once, despite the attendant cost of reduced feeding opportunities.
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