Timing of female sexual unreceptivity and male adjustment of copulatory behaviour under competition risk in the wolf spider <Emphasis Type="Italic">Schizocosa malitiosa</Emphasis> |
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Authors: | Anita Aisenberg Natalia Estramil Carlos Toscano-Gadea Macarena González |
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Institution: | (1) Laboratorio de Etología, Ecología y Evolución, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Avenida Italia 3318, 11600 Montevideo, Uruguay |
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Abstract: | Males can change their copulatory or sperm transfer patterns in response to sperm competition risk. Schizocosa malitiosa performs long copulations, which include two consecutive patterns (Patterns 1 and 2). Virgin females are very sexually receptive,
but mated females diminish their receptiveness. Female unreceptivity has been attributed to the action of receptivity-inhibiting
substances, mainly transferred during Pattern 1. We tested: (1) if females who mated only with Pattern 1 were immediately
unreceptive; (2) male and female behaviours when the copulating couple was exposed to another male. For (1), we interrupted
mating when Pattern 1 finished and immediately exposed the female to a second male. For (2), we introduced a second male when
the couple was starting (Ei) or finishing copulation (Li). Females were unreceptive immediately after finishing Pattern 1.
Males from Ei and Li dismounted and approached the second males. Ei males diminished the frequencies of insertion after perceiving
the presence of a second male and dismounted less frequently when copulating with heavy females. The study provides insights
about the timing of sexual unreceptivity in S. malitiosa under possibilities of sperm competition, discussing male adjustment of copulatory behaviour in the presence of rival males.
Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. |
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Keywords: | Schizocosa malitiosa Wolf spider Sexually unreceptive Receptivity-inhibiting substances Competition risk |
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