海洲湾强壮箭虫的生态学特征研究

根据海洲湾2006年8月—2007年11月的强壮箭虫(Sagitta crassa)调查数据,采用聚集强度指标、Iwao和Taylor模型分析了强壮箭虫的空间分布特征和丰度的时空变化。结果表明:强壮箭虫在调查海域呈聚集分布;强壮箭虫平均丰度的时空变化差异显著,空间上,中、北部海域的平均丰度高于南部海域,时间上,强壮箭虫春、冬季节的平均丰度明显高于夏、秋季节。     

越北腹露蝗若虫空间格局的地学统计学分析

应用地学统计学研究广东北部桑田中越北腹露蝗(Fruhstorferiola tonkinensis Will)1～5龄若虫的空间格局动态.结果表明：越北腹露蝗1～5龄若虫种群变异曲线函数均为球状模型,表现为聚集分布,但各龄若虫的空间依赖范围分别为1.973、1.968、2.169、2.302和4.307 m.利用Kriging插值法由地学统计学软件Surfer 8.0产生的各龄若虫等值线图清晰地反映了各龄若虫的空间位置, 表明越北腹露蝗有别于其它一些蝗虫,其低龄若虫呈聚居型,高龄若虫呈散居型分布.     

花曲柳窄吉丁的空间分布

2004年4月~9月,在天津市大港区官港森林公园对花曲柳窄吉丁Agrilus planipennis的空间分布和垂直分布进行了调查研究,应用扩散系数(C)等6种指数法分析测定,确定了该虫在林地中的空间分布呈聚集分布,分布的基本成分是个体群。扩散蔓延规律为聚集型扩散。花曲柳窄吉丁幼虫在树干的垂直分布主要区间在50~150 cm之间。对幼虫垂直分布与树干高度的关系进行分析,其符合立方曲线,曲线方程为:Y=-5.142 9+17.943 7X+21.662 3X2-14.545X3;相关系数R2=0.915,P=0.013。     

西伯利亚蝗气门结构及呼吸代谢对高温胁迫的响应

【目的】掌握西伯利亚蝗Gomphocerus sibiricus的气门结构和呼吸代谢应对高温胁迫的响应策略。【方法】运用扫描电镜观察西伯利亚蝗气门超显微结构,多通道昆虫呼吸仪测定18~42℃处理下西伯利亚蝗的O_2吸收率、CO_2释放率、代谢率和呼吸商。【结果】西伯利亚蝗共有10对气门,胸部2对,腹部8对,呈圆形或椭圆形,内侧着生有筛板,呈刺凸状,分布密集。18~42℃范围内,随温度升高,西伯利亚蝗呼吸代谢呈先上升后下降的趋势。18℃时西伯利亚蝗雌雄成虫的O_2吸收率、CO_2释放率和代谢率值显著小于其他温度下的相应值(P<0.05),雌虫分别为0.0022 m L/min、0.0019 m L/min和0.0210 m L/(g·min),雄虫分别为0.0016 m L/min、0.0016 m L/min和0.0236 m L/(g·min);21~27℃范围内,西伯利亚蝗雌雄成虫的呼吸代谢变化平稳,超过30℃呼吸代谢各指标值迅速上升,至36℃时雌雄成虫的O_2吸收率和代谢率值均显著大于其他温度下的相应值(P<0.05);雌虫分别为0.0071 m L/min和0.0592 m L/(g·min),雄虫分别为0.0089 m L/min和0.1108 m L/(g·min),39℃时CO_2释放率显著大于其他温度下的相应值(P<0.05),雌雄成虫分别为0.0074 m L/min和0.0067 m L/min。【结论】依据西伯利亚蝗呼吸代谢随温度变化特征可以判断,随气候持续变暖,西伯利亚蝗仍将是新疆高山、亚高山草原的重要致灾类群。     

黑河下游胡杨种群的点格局分析

采用空间点格局分析方法中的Ripley K函数,将宏观的地理环境与微观的点格局相结合,分析了不同尺度下黑河下游胡杨种群的空间分布格局.结果表明: 胡杨种群密度随离河距离增大而减小,且东河胡杨种群密度整体上高于西河;胡杨种群分布格局随空间尺度的变化而变化,主要在中尺度5～12 m呈聚集分布,在小尺度0～2 m和大尺度38～40 m呈随机分布,极少呈均匀分布;胡杨种群在不同离河距离主要呈聚集分布,且聚集强度随离河距离的增大呈增大趋势,而胡杨种群在离河距离较远的地段有扩散趋势,转为随机分布.表明胡杨种群内部的生态联系对空间尺度具有很强的依赖性,胡杨种群空间分布主要受表层土壤含水量和地下水埋深的影响.     

云南元江芒果园桔小实蝇成虫日活动规律及空间分布格局

利用甲基丁香酚引诱剂和黄板对桔小实蝇Bactrocera dorsalis成虫日活动规律及飞行高度进行了研究,同时根据多种聚集度指标对桔小实蝇成虫的空间分布格局进行了分析。结果表明:元江县挂果期芒果园内桔小实蝇日活动量高峰出现在10:00、16:00左右,活动量低谷出现在8:00、14:00和19:00左右,日间温湿度与其日活动量之间无线性相关关系;成虫飞行高度随时间变化,受降雨影响,雌雄成虫飞行高度存在差异。上午、中午成虫多近地飞行,午后多在1.5 m以上高度飞行,降雨导致成虫飞行活动量大幅减退,多分布于1.5 m以上枝叶附近。株高8 m的3a芒果树4 m高度处黄板捕获虫量最大,其次是2 m高处,6m以上虫量较少。雄性成虫在芒果园中呈聚集分布,原因之一是其自身的聚集行为;雌虫空间分布不均,主要呈聚集分布,少数部分为均匀分布,其聚集由环境因素造成。     

蝗虫微孢子虫病在草原蝗虫优势种种群及空间的分布

在采用蝗虫微孢子虫Nosema locustae防治过的草场中进行抽样调查,研究了草原蝗虫优势种类、混合种群平均密度与蝗虫微孢子虫疾病分布之关系,以及该疾病的空间分布。在防治后的当年,蝗虫微孢子虫疾病的感染率随着混合种群平均密度及靶标蝗虫亚洲小车蝗Oedaleus asiaticus的感病率的下降而降低。但是,次靶标蝗虫如宽须蚁蝗Myrmeleotettixpalpalis(一种中后期发生的种类)其感病率呈上升趋势,表明该疾病可在不同发生期种类蝗虫之间进行有效地传播。病蝗虫在防治后第7d其空间分布呈随机分布(Poisson),第28d 则是聚集分布,第40d时也呈聚集分布。于1993年、1994年对1988年(样区Ⅱ)、1989 年(样区Ⅲ)采用微孢子虫防治过的草场进行抽样调查。结果表明,在二个样区中,二年混合种群平均虫口密度与混合种群的平均感病率呈正相关(相关系数分别为r=0.289, r=0.479)。蝗虫微孢子虫病在主要优势种,如亚洲小车蝗、宽须蚁蝗、白边痂蝗Bryode maluctuosumluctuosum、皱膝蝗Angaracris /I>spp.、毛足棒角蝗Dasyhippus barbipes均有分布。二个样区中的混合蝗虫种群的平均感病率在1994年显著低于1993年。混合蝗虫种群的种类组成也有所变化,与1993年相比,1994年宽须蚁蝗及白边痂蝗的比例上升较大,而亚洲小车蝗的比例下降。经过5—7年的扩散,蝗虫微孢子虫病至少可扩散距防治区1 000m,其扩散方向可能与风及地势等有关。     

荔枝园荔枝蒂蛀虫常规爆发期的种群空间分布格局

荔枝蒂蛀虫Conopomorpha sinensis Bradley是我国最重要的荔枝、龙眼蛀果类害虫之一.为了准确把握荔枝园中荔枝蒂蛀虫的分布规律,以便对该虫的危害盛期进行预测预报和采取防治措施,本文采用生物学统计方法和地理统计学方法对荔枝园中荔枝蒂蛀虫卵、蛹和成虫的空间分布特征进行了研究.结果显示:2019年5月和6月,无挂果荔枝树的有虫株率分别为67.74％和68.57％,而挂果荔枝树的有虫株率达90.91％和91.67％.该时期荔枝园内荔枝蒂蛀虫蛹的半变异函数最佳拟合模型均为球型模型,成虫均为指数模型,而卵在5月和6月的拟合模型分别为球型模型和指数模型.不同时期荔枝蒂蛀虫各虫态的拟合变异函数模型虽存在一定差异,但所指明的空间分布格局均为聚集分布.引起荔枝蒂蛀虫卵和蛹聚集分布主要由生境和自身生物学特性共同所致,但当虫口密度降低时,成虫的聚集分布仅由生境引起.另外,用Kriging插值方法生成的空间分布图显示荔枝蒂蛀虫卵、蛹和成虫均明显趋向于以挂果荔枝树为中心的聚集分布,聚集斑块由聚集中心区域向四周逐渐减小.5月至6月,荔枝蒂蛀虫卵、蛹和成虫在荔枝园内趋向以挂果荔枝树为中心的聚集分布,不同时期荔枝园内荔枝蒂蛀虫的聚集分布成因随种群密度变化有所不同.     

水分梯度下胡杨荒漠河岸林种内竞争及空间格局变化特征

为查明塔里木河下游不同水分梯度下胡杨种内竞争以及空间分布格局的变化规律,在塔里木河下游阿拉干断面选取3条样带,每条样带内依照水分梯度布设3个样方,采用Hegyi单木竞争模型与点格局等分析方法,探究了水分梯度下胡杨林种内竞争及空间格局变化特征。结果表明：1)塔里木河下游胡杨的最适竞争范围为10m; 2)胡杨竞争指数与胸径服从幂函数关系(P<0.001),胡杨竞争指数随对象木胸径的增加而逐渐减小,当对象木胸径达到20cm以上时,其竞争指数逐渐稳定,且维持在较低水平;3)随水分梯度的降低,胡杨林分竞争指数呈下降趋势;4)在塔里木河下游,胡杨空间格局主要为聚集分布,随空间尺度的增加,胡杨逐渐趋向于随机分布;5)随水分梯度的降低,胡杨空间格局由聚集分布逐渐转变为随机分布。水分是决定极端干旱区荒漠植被空间分布与结构的主要因子;在胡杨林分管理中,应充分考虑胡杨的种内竞争、空间格局及其与水分梯度之间关系,为塔里木河下游胡杨林的保护与更新提供科学依据。     

长白落叶松人工林天然更新幼苗分布格局及其研究方法的比较

长白落叶松是东北东部地区主要造林树种之一．该文研究了55a生长白落叶松人工林天然更新幼苗的空间分布格局．测定了样地内（30m×18m）所有天然更新幼苗的坐标、地径和苗高．在幼苗坐标点图的基础上,进行了23个取样尺度（离散尺度）下的相邻格子法的空间格局分析：采用Poisson分布、负二项分布和正二项分布拟合幼苗的离散分布,方差均值比、Morisita指数和最近邻体法确定了空间分布格局,C-指数、Green指数和负二项参数K值度量了它们的聚集强度．利用更新幼苗的坐标点图,采用地统计学中自々半方差分析方法和空间点格局方法（采用Ripley二次分析法）研究了尺度连续变化条件下更新幼苗空间分布格局和聚集强度的变化并确定了其聚集规模,利用最近邻体法的计算方法分析了更新幼苗的自然定植特点．结果表明：1）更新幼苗所有离散尺度下（样方面积从1m^2到18m^2）均呈聚集分布．连续尺度下,在0—10．5m的半径区间内呈聚集分布,在10．5—12．3m的半径区间内呈随机分布．2）离散尺度下（样方面积从1m^2到18m^2）,聚集强度随尺度的增加而增加．连续尺度下,在0．10．5m的半径区间内,聚集强度随尺度的增加表现出先增加后降低的趋势,在半径（尺度）为4．2m处聚集强度最大．3）此次调查的样地范围内天然更新幼苗呈现聚集状态生长的平均最大聚集斑块（聚集规模）的半径为4．79m．4）天然更新幼苗之间的平均距离为0．30-0．42m,更新幼苗生长在与母树相距2．99—3．26m之外的空间．5）相邻格子法（传统的样方方法）和空间点格局分析法对格局的判别和格局强度的确定基本一致,但是空间点格局分析法能够反映出尺度连续变化条件下格局和格局强度的变化．它与最近邻体法和地统计学方法等以种群分布的坐标点图为数据源的     

Sensory trap as the mechanism of sexual selection in a damselfly genitalic trait (Insecta: Calopterygidae)

During copulation, males of some calopterygid damselfly species displace the sperm stored in the spermatheca: the male genital appendages enter into the spermathecal ducts and physically remove sperm. In Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis, the genital appendages are too wide to penetrate the spermathecae, but males use a different mechanism in which the aedeagus stimulates the vaginal sensilla that control spermathecal sperm release. Since these sensilla are used during egg fertilization and oviposition, it was hypothesized that this function evolved before the male stimulatory ability. I investigated this using Hetaerina cruentata, a species whose position in the Calopterygidae phylogeny is more basal than Calopteryx. Given this position and having determined that males of this species are not able to displace sperm of their conspecific females during copulation, it was expected that H. cruentata females would eject sperm when stimulated with the aedeagi of C. haemorrhoidalis but not when stimulated with the aedeagi of their conspecifics. This prediction was confirmed. In order to investigate the widespread nature of this result, some other Calopteryx species-Calopteryx xanthostoma and Calopteryx virgo-were investigated. The results were similar to those of H. cruentata: conspecific males were unable to stimulate their females, but females ejected sperm when stimulated with C. haemorrhoidalis aedeagi. Morphometric analysis suggests that the mechanistic explanation for the stimulatory ability of C. haemorrhoidalis genitalia is that the aedeagal region that makes contact with the vaginal sensilla is wider in C. haemorrhoidalis than in the other species. These results suggest that the sensory "bias" shown and shared by H. cruentata, Calopteryx splendens, C. virgo, and C. haemorrhoidalis females represents an ancestral condition and that the male stimulatory ability is absent in the evolutionary history of the clade. These pieces of evidence as well as another one presented elsewhere, which indicates that C. haemorrhoidalis males vary in their stimulatory ability, constitute the three criteria for a case of sexual selection via exploitation of a female sensory bias. These results also provide support to the sensory trap hypothesis that indicates that the female bias-in this case, egg fertilization and oviposition-evolved in a context different from sexual selection. Considering that the male genital appendages responsible for physically removing spermathecal sperm in other calopterygids are present in C. haemorrhoidalis, I suggest that males were once able to displace spermathecal sperm physically. Such ability may have been later impeded by a reduction in size of the spermathecal ducts. Possibly, one of the latest events in this sequence is the male's stimulatory ability. This hypothetical series of events suggests a coevolutionary scenario in which the central actor is the sperm stored in the spermathecae.     

Male and female meiosis in grasshoppers

Male meiosis in the grasshopper Stethophyma grossum is well known as an example of proximal chiasma localisation. An investigation of female meiosis in oocytes of this species shows that both the frequency and distribution of chiasmata are quite different from the male situation. Mean chiasma frequency per cell (14.98) in considerably higher in females than in males (11.28) which agrees with the trend established in other comparative studies of male and female meiosis. More strikingly, males and females also show not only different but quite opposite patterns of chiasma distribution. In spermatocytes of males, chiasmata are strictly localised proximally in most bivalents, but in oocytes of females very few chiasmata form in proximal regions and nearly all chiasmata form either in distal or interstitial regions. The genetical significance of these findings is considered.     

Seasonal variation in genital and body size, sperm displacement ability, female mating rate, and male harassment in two calopterygid damselflies (Odonata: Calopterygidae)

Sperm competition is a pervasive force. One adaptation is the male ability to displace the rivals' sperm that females have stored from previous copulations. In the damselfly, Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis asturica , males with wider aedeagi displace more spermathecal sperm. The present study documents that the same mechanism operates in another damselfly, Hetaerina americana . However, this genital width in both species decreases along the season, but late-emerging females have more sperm displaced than early-emerging females. Because territorial males mated more and were larger in body and genital size than nonterritorial males, late-season females mated with considerably larger males with respect to female size and this produced higher sperm displacement. Assuming female benefits from storing sperm but that such benefit does not prevail if males displace sperm, it is predicted that, along the season, females will mate less and male harassment (in terms of male mating attempts and oviposition duration) will increase. These predictions were corroborated. In H. americana , it was also tested whether spermathecal sperm became less viable along the season. The results obtained did not corroborate this. This is the first evidence indicating that season affects sperm displacement ability and female mating frequency due to changes in male body and genital size.  © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2009, 96 , 815–829.     

Grasshopper calling songs convey information about condition and health of males

Females of the grasshopper Chorthippus biguttulus invest much more in the offspring than do males. As a consequence, females are the more selective sex and exert a sexual selection on males by responding to the songs of certain conspecific males while rejecting others. What kind of information about the sender may a female obtain from a male’s song, in addition to its species identity? We searched for correlations between a series of song features and morphometric parameters of individual males. In addition, also the immunocompetence of males was assessed by implanting small pieces of nylon thread. We found significant, positive correlations between certain song characteristics and indicators of male size and immunocompetence. Thus, grasshopper females may—in principle—be able to judge a male’s condition and health from the acoustic signals he produces.     

Male parasitism and intrasexual competition in a burrowing barnacle

Summary In sexually dimorphic animals, large male body size is often associated with direct interference competition among males for access to females or resources used in reproduction. In constrast, small male body size may be associated with indirect scramble competition among males for temporal or spatial access to females. Minute, “parasitic” males of the acrothoracican barnacleTrypetesa lampas (Hancock) appear to compete with one another for permanent attachment sites on the external body of the female. Several spatial patterns suggest indirect male-male competition: 1) males were consistently aggregated on the anterior surface of the female ovarian disc; 2) the average distance from attached males to the site of insemination correlated positively with local male density; 3) average male body size on a female decreased as a function of male density; 4) the distribution of males on the left and right hand sides of the female ovarian disc was more even than expected, suggesting that males avoided crowded settlement sites. The number of males attached to a female increased with female body size and matched a null model in which males colonized female “targets” of differing areas. These results suggest that competition between males primarily affected settlement sites and male body sizes within, rather than among, females. Male parasitism may have evolved through both sexual selection for efficient access to females (Ghiselin 1974) and natural selection for reduced burrow density in a space-limited habitat (Turner and Yakovlev 1983).     

Sex‐related spatial patterns of Poa ligularis in relation to shrub patch occurrence in northern Patagonia

Abstract. Poa ligularis is a dioecious species and a valuable forage plant which is widespread in the arid steppe of northern Patagonia (Argentina). The vegetation in these areas consists of a system of perennial plant patches alternating with bare soil areas defining contrasting micro‐environments. We hypothesized that (1) male and female individuals of P. ligularis are spatially segregated in different micro‐environments, (2) the intensity of spatial segregation of sexes depends on plant structure and (3) spatial segregation of sexes is enhanced by competitive interactions between the sexes within the vegetation patches. We analysed the spatial distribution of female and male individuals in relation to the spatial pattern of vegetation in two areas differing in their vegetation structure. The location of P. ligularis within patches where either male, female or both sexes occurred was also analysed. The results indicate that different patterns of spatial distribution of sexes of P. ligularis may be found at the community level depending on the dominant life forms and geometric structure of plant patches. Where patches are of a lower height, with a high internal patch cover, individuals of both sexes are concentrated within patch canopies. In sites characterized by large, tall patches and less internal patch cover suitable microsites for female and male P. ligularis occur both within and outside the patch with males located at further distances from the patch edge. Where the patch is large and tall enough to allow the establishment of males and females at relatively high numbers, males occupy the patch periphery or even colonize the interpatch bare soil. These spatial patterns are consistent with selective traits in which females better tolerate intraspecific competition than males, while males tolerate wider fluctuations in the physical environment (soil moisture, nitrogen availability, wind intensity, etc.).     

No evidence for female kin association,indications for extragroup paternity,and sex‐biased dispersal patterns in wild western gorillas

Characterizing animal dispersal patterns and the rational behind individuals’ transfer choices is a long‐standing question of interest in evolutionary biology. In wild western gorillas (Gorilla gorilla), a one‐male polygynous species, previous genetic findings suggested that, when dispersing, females might favor groups with female kin to promote cooperation, resulting in higher‐than‐expected within‐group female relatedness. The extent of male dispersal remains unclear with studies showing conflicting results. To investigate male and female dispersal patterns and extragroup paternity, we analyzed long‐term field observations, including female spatial proximity data, together with genetic data (10 autosomal microsatellites) on individuals from a unique set of four habituated western gorilla groups, and four additional extragroup males (49 individuals in total). The majority of offspring (25 of 27) were sired by the group male. For two offspring, evidence for extragroup paternity was found. Contrarily to previous findings, adult females were not significantly more related within groups than across groups. Consistently, adult female relatedness within groups did not correlate with their spatial proximity inferred from behavioral data. Adult females were similarly related to adult males from their group than from other groups. Using R _ST statistics, we found significant genetic structure and a pattern of isolation by distance, indicating limited dispersal in this species. Comparing relatedness among females and among males revealed that males disperse farer than females, as expected in a polygamous species. Our study on habituated western gorillas shed light on the dispersal dynamics and reproductive behavior of this polygynous species and challenge some of the previous results based on unhabituated groups.     

Spatial distributions of male and female strawberry poison frogs and their relation to female reproductive resources

In many species with a resource-based mating system, males defend resources to increase their attractiveness to females. In the strawberry poison frog, Dendrobates pumilio, suitable tadpole-rearing sites appear to be a limited resource for females. Territorial males have been suggested to defend tadpole-rearing sites to increase their access to females. In this study we investigate the spatial association between tadpole-rearing sites and the sexes as well as the spatial association of males and females. If strawberry poison frogs have resource defense polygyny, we expect males and females to be associated with tadpole-rearing sites and that females will deposit their offspring in tadpole-rearing sites inside the territories of their mates. To test this hypothesis, home range and core area sizes were calculated for both sexes and the association patterns were compared in two areas that differed in their abundance of tadpole-rearing sites. Home ranges and core areas of females were much larger than male home ranges. Females showed a clumped distribution in the vicinity of tadpole-rearing sites. Males were not clumped and were less associated with tadpole-rearing sites. Females generally did not use tadpole-rearing sites in the territory of their mates and we therefore conclude that males did not defend tadpole-rearing sites for females. Our data are consistent with the general assumption that female distribution is influenced by resource distribution and that male distribution depends on female distribution. Nevertheless, the distribution of D. pumilio females was also influenced by male spacing patterns. Males probably initially establish their core areas where female density is high and then females move among territories to sample males. Males compete vigorously for places with high female density, the defense of which is likely important for enhancing their mating success. In general, the spacing patterns did not differ between populations but the sex ratio was strongly female biased in the habitat with more tadpole-rearing sites, reflecting the direct reliance of females on these resources.     

Influence of host-plant density and male harassment on the distribution of female Euphydryas anicia (Nymphalidae)

Summary We studied behavioral mechanisms underlying the spatial distribution of Euphydryas anicia (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) females searching for larval host plants on a flat plain in Colorado. The rate of female movement, as represented by an empirically estimated diffusion coefficient, is affected by two factors. First, when searching in areas of high host-plant density, females tend to make sharper turns and fly for shorter distances between landings, compared to areas of low plant density. As a result, the rate of female displacement is lowered when they search in areas of high host-plant density, and thus females tend to aggregate in such areas. The second factor affecting female movement is the presence of males. Harassment by males induces females to increase the rate of their movement, and females are often chased out of host patches by males. Our results explain the observed spatial and temporal patterns of female distribution in relation to the distribution of host plants and males. In years when host plants are plentiful, harrassement by males in one host patch induces females to move to another. This pattern of female movement tends to disrupt the relationship between the spatial distributions of host plants and females, as well as females and males. In the year when hosts were concentrated in a single large patch, females could not easily avoid male harassment, and consequently we observed strong corelations of female-host distributions and male-female distributions.     

Geographical variation in temporal and spatial vocalization patterns of male harbour seals in the mating season

In the aquatically mating harbour seal, Phoca vitulina, oestrous females show marked differences in spatial and temporal distribution between geographical areas. This suggests that the males' display behaviour may also vary between areas. We recorded male vocalizations in two areas, the Moray Firth and Orkney, U.K. In the Moray Firth, females haul out on a few intertidal sandbars and travel along predictable routes to forage at sea. In Orkney, female haul out sites are much less influenced by tidal availability and females are much more dispersed. In the Moray Firth, males vocalized only during a short mating season, from 1 July to 12 August. Vocalizations varied significantly with the tide, the peak at high tide clearly coinciding with the period when most females were in the water. In contrast, vocalizations in Orkney were significantly related to both tidal and diel patterns. We suggest that the timing of male vocalizations reflects differences in female availability between sites. In the inner Moray Firth, vocalizations were heard throughout the females' range, whereas vocalizations in Orkney were heard only in two discrete areas. However, at both sites the density of vocalizing males was highest in narrow channels and/or along predictable female travel routes. Therefore, males clearly adapt their temporal and spatial behaviour patterns to variations in female distribution and density. These results suggest that male mating strategies in aquatically mating pinnipeds are more variable than was previously envisaged. Copyright 1999 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.