Research Interests:
""""Background Sexual conflict over mating rates may favour the origin and maintenance of phenotypes with contrasting reproductive strategies. The damselfly Ischnura elegans is characterised by a female-limited colour polymorphism that... more
""""Background
Sexual conflict over mating rates may favour the origin and maintenance of phenotypes with contrasting reproductive strategies. The damselfly Ischnura elegans is characterised by a female-limited colour polymorphism that consists of one androchrome and two gynochrome morphs. Previous studies have shown that the polymorphism is genetic and to a high extent maintained by negative frequency-dependent mating success that varies temporally and spatially. However, the role of ontogenetic shifts in male mating preferences and learning has received little attention. We used molecular markers to investigate differences in polyandry between female morphs. In addition, we experimentally investigated innate male mating preferences and experience-dependent shifts in male mating preferences for female morphs.
Results
Field and molecular data show that androchromes were less polyandrous than gynochrome females. Interestingly, we found that inexperienced naïve males showed significantly higher sexual responses to androchrome than to gynochrome females in experimental trials. In contrast, experienced males showed no preference for androchrome females.
Conclusions
The ontogenetic change in male mate preferences occurs most likely because of learned mate recognition after experience with females, which in this case does not result in a preference for one of the morphs, but rather in the loss of an innate preference for androchromes.
""""
Sexual conflict over mating rates may favour the origin and maintenance of phenotypes with contrasting reproductive strategies. The damselfly Ischnura elegans is characterised by a female-limited colour polymorphism that consists of one androchrome and two gynochrome morphs. Previous studies have shown that the polymorphism is genetic and to a high extent maintained by negative frequency-dependent mating success that varies temporally and spatially. However, the role of ontogenetic shifts in male mating preferences and learning has received little attention. We used molecular markers to investigate differences in polyandry between female morphs. In addition, we experimentally investigated innate male mating preferences and experience-dependent shifts in male mating preferences for female morphs.
Results
Field and molecular data show that androchromes were less polyandrous than gynochrome females. Interestingly, we found that inexperienced naïve males showed significantly higher sexual responses to androchrome than to gynochrome females in experimental trials. In contrast, experienced males showed no preference for androchrome females.
Conclusions
The ontogenetic change in male mate preferences occurs most likely because of learned mate recognition after experience with females, which in this case does not result in a preference for one of the morphs, but rather in the loss of an innate preference for androchromes.
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