Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Evolution
Publication Date
2024
Keywords
sperm competition, intensity, sperm number, spermatophylax, cuticular hydrocarbons
Abstract
Theoretically, males should increase their ejaculate expenditure when the probability of sperm competition occurring (or risk) is high but decrease ejaculate expenditure as the number of competing ejaculates (or intensity) increases. Here we examine whether male decorated crickets (Gryllodes sigillatus) use cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) transferred to females by rival males at mating to assess the risk and intensity of sperm competition and adjust their ejaculate accordingly. Unmated females and those perfumed with CHCs extracted from one, three, or five males could be distinguished chemically, providing a reliable cue of the risk and intensity of sperm competition. In agreement with theory, males mating with these females increased sperm number with the risk of sperm competition and decreased sperm number with the intensity of sperm competition. Similarly, as the risk of sperm competition increased, males produced a larger and more attractive spermatophylax (an important non-sperm component of the ejaculate) but these traits did not vary with the intensity of sperm competition. Our results therefore demonstrate that both sperm and non-sperm components of the male ejaculate respond to the risk and intensity of sperm competition in different ways and that CHCs provide males with an important cue to strategically tailor their ejaculate.
Funding Source
This research was funded by grants from the Australian Research Council (DP180101708) to J.H.; the National Science Foundation (IOS 16-54028) to S.K.S., B.S., and J.H.; and a Women’s Research Fellowship, WSU to C.M.H.
Recommended Citation
Clarissa M. House, Kristin Duffield, James Rapkin, Scott K Sakaluk, John Hunt, The transfer of male cuticular hydrocarbons provides a reliable cue of the risk and intensity of sperm competition in decorated crickets, Evolution, 2024;, qpae088, https://doi.org/10.1093/evolut/qpae088
DOI
10.1093/evolut/qpae088
Comments
First published in Evolution 2024, qpae088; https://doi.org/10.1093/evolut/qpae088.
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY-NC-ND) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).