Presentation Details
| Strength of mate preference for genetic background is sexually dimorphic in Bicyclus anynana butterflies Erica L.Westerman 1, Kiana Kasmaii1, Wendy Hoffert1, Anna P.Cerveny2, Amy Barnhart2, Gregory Pask2. 1University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA.2Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT, USA |
Abstract
While female mate choice is often considered a main driver of realized mate selection, male choice is also a contributing factor, especially in species where males make energetic contributions to offspring. Here we use the butterfly Bicyclus anynana, a species where males give spermatophores to females, to assess relative strength of female and male mate choice for genetic background. Using a line artificially selected for female preference for ornament number as well as our wild type (WT) line, we held ornament number constant and assessed female preference for selection line (SL) versus WT males, and male preference for SL versus WT females. We also assessed male pheromone blends, as males but not females produce pheromones. We found that females exhibited a strong preference for WT males, while males mated randomly. This female preference was likely not due to shifts in male pheromone, as SL males produced large quantities of similar blends as WT. Our findings suggest that our selection regime influenced relative male fitness more strongly than relative female fitness, and that traits other than ornament number and pheromone blend influence male mating success in this species.
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.
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