NDLI: Selection for early emergence, longevity and large body size in wingless, sib-mating ant males

Content Provider	Springer Nature Link
Author	Kureck, Ilka M. Nicolai, Beate Foitzik, Susanne
Copyright Year	2013
Abstract	Sexual selection has led to male morphologies and behaviours that either increase male attractiveness or their success in male–male competition. We investigated male traits under selection in the ant Hypoponera opacior, in which wingless males mate with pupal queens inside their natal colony and guard their partners for hours. The lack of female choice and fights among adult males makes this species an ideal study system to investigate sexual selection in the absence of these selective forces. We hypothesised that males, which emerge first and live longer, should have a higher mating success because of more mating opportunities, reduced competition and the ability to kill pupal competitors. We recorded the number and length of matings and tested whether these measures of male-mating success were associated with emergence order, lifespan and body size. Indeed, early emerged males mated more often and longer than their later-emerging rivals. Furthermore, longer-lived and larger males obtained more matings. Body size might be important because larger males either produce more sperm or perform better in mounting females. We found no evidence for a trade-off between body size and emergence time. Moreover, male removal manipulations revealed that males quickly adapt their guarding behaviour to changes in the competitive environment. Under reduced competition, males guarded their partners for shorter periods. In conclusion, these sib-mating ant males are under selection to develop fast, to live long, to be large and to be able to respond to the competitive situation in the nest.
Starting Page	1369
Ending Page	1377
Page Count	9
File Format	PDF
ISSN	03405443
Journal	Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology
Volume Number	67
Issue Number	8
e-ISSN	14320762
Language	English
Publisher	Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Publisher Date	2013-06-18
Publisher Place	Berlin, Heidelberg
Access Restriction	One Nation One Subscription (ONOS)
Subject Keyword	Sexual selection Mating success Mate guarding Social insects Local mate competition Mating behaviour Behavioural Sciences Zoology Evolutionary Biology
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Animal Science and Zoology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

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4	Project PI / Joint PI	Principal Investigator and Joint Principal Investigators of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in Prof. Saswat Chakrabarti will be added soon
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