Nuptial Gifts and Sexual Conflict in Bushcrickets
Author Information
Author(s): Nina Wedell, Tom Tregenza, Leigh W. Simmons
Primary Institution: Centre for Ecology and Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter
Hypothesis
Can male nutrient donations compensate for the costs of receiving manipulative ejaculates in female bushcrickets?
Conclusion
Nutrient provisioning does not resolve sexual conflict over female receptivity in the bushcricket species Requena verticalis.
Supporting Evidence
- Receiving multiple ejaculates reduces female longevity in R. verticalis.
- Consumption of male nutrient donations does not improve female lifespan.
- Females receiving three ejaculates lived shorter lives than those receiving one.
Takeaway
When female bushcrickets receive multiple male ejaculates, they live shorter lives, and eating the nutrients from males doesn't help them live longer.
Methodology
Females were subjected to different mating treatments to assess the impact of ejaculate and nutrient consumption on longevity and fecundity.
Limitations
The study could not separate the effects of multiple copulations from those of ejaculate compounds on female lifespan.
Participant Demographics
Female bushcrickets (Requena verticalis) collected as last instar nymphs.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p = 0.037
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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