The mechanism of the fecundity reduction in Callosobruchus maculatus caused by Callosobruchus chinensis males

Male promiscuity sometimes results in interspecific reproductive interaction, also known as reproductive interference. Reproductive interference entails costs for the individuals involved and affects the community structure by reducing the population growth rate. However, our understanding of the mechanisms generating reproductive interference is still insufficient. Two congeneric bean weevils, Callosobruchus chinensis and C. maculatus, show asymmetric reproductive interference; only C. chinensis males reduce the fecundity of the other species. Here we investigated the mechanism of reproductive interference by C. chinensis males on C. maculatus females in terms of lifetime fecundity. Callosobruchus chinensis males with ablated genitals, which could harass C. maculatus females but not copulate with them, did not reduce the C. maculatus fecundity, suggesting that interspecific copulation was necessary. However, a single interspecific copulation did not affect C. maculatus fecundity as long as the females also copulated with a conspecific male. Exposure to C. chinensis males for 24 h prior to oviposition significantly reduced C. maculatus fecundity, and fecundity was negatively correlated with the number of C. chinensis males the females were exposed to. Additionally, C. maculatus females experienced more interspecific copulations when they were housed with more C. chinensis males. Together these findings suggest that multiple interspecific copulations by C. chinensis males reduce the fecundity of C. maculatus females. Thus in general, even if a single interspecific copulation is apparently harmless, repeated interspecific copulations can be costly for the individuals involved. Furthermore, only by quantifying reproductive success were we able to identify the precise mechanism of reproductive interference.