Hammering,mauling, and kissing: stereotyped courtship behavior in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cardiocondyla</Emphasis> ants |
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Authors: | J-L Mercier J-C Lenoir A Eberhardt S Frohschammer C Williams J Heinze |
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Institution: | 1.Faculté des Sciences et Techniques,Université Fran?ois Rabelais, Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l’Insecte, UMR CNRS 6035,Tours,France;2.Biologie I,Universit?t Regensburg,Regensburg,Germany;3.Centre for Environmental Science,National University of Ireland,Galway,Ireland |
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Abstract: | Sex appears to be a rather prosaic and casual event in the life of most social Hymenoptera. In contrast, mating in the ant
genus Cardiocondyla is regularly preceded by a prolonged and stereotypic courtship display. Pummeling the head of the female with mandibles and
/ or antennae and vibrations of the gaster, presumably stridulation, are essential parts of male courtship. The overall structure
of the mating pattern is conserved throughout species and between winged and wingless, “ergatoid” males, but exhibits species-specific
idiosyncrasies. For example, C. elegans males regularly end the interaction with a female with a short mouth-to-mouth contact. Variation in the duration of the precopulatory
phase and the copulation itself might reflect different degrees of inter- and intrasexual selection. More information on the
dynamics of sperm transfer and the risk and intensity of sperm competition are needed to better understand the evolution of
the complex mating behavior in this genus.
Received 15 December 2006; revised 25 June 2007; accepted 11 September 2007. |
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Keywords: | Cardiocondyla mating behavior male polymorphism sexual selection |
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