Sexual conflict over mating duration drives the evolution of male and female adaptations that facilitate the manipulation of mating interactions in their favor. This conflict drives the evolution of traits that improve the fitness of the focal sex despite inflicting costs on mates. However, males can express multiple traits that increase and decrease female fitness simultaneously. When the effects of male traits on female fitness increase or decrease with duration of exposure, females traits that influence mating duration are selected upon. Females of Callosobruchus maculatus, a bruchid bean beetle, kick mates to forcefully end copulation. Although both negative effects of male genital spines and positive of effects ejaculatory materials on female fitness have been documented, it is not yet clear how these male traits interact to influence the timing of female kicking. In this study, we observed the effect of male genital spine size, ejaculate size and mating history, and manipulated mating duration to disentangle the effects of male traits on the timing of female kicking behavior. We found that male mating history and mate body size dimorphism predicted the timing and duration of female kicking, but that male ejaculate size and spine length did not predict female kicking timing.

Submitted by (edna.saturno@ufrpe.br) on 2016-11-22T15:55:38Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Agna Rita dos Santos Rodrigues.pdf: 1041996 bytes, checksum: 09225af0315071627118074737e4ebda (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-11-22T15:55:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Agna Rita dos Santos Rodrigues.pdf: 1041996 bytes, checksum: 09225af0315071627118074737e4ebda (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-02-01 / Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPq / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The reasons of multiple and long successive mates accomplished by Podisus nigrispinus (Dallas) (Hem.: Pentatomidae) males has been unknown. Thus, mating behavior of P. nigrispinus was investigated as function of male body size (i), previous mating status (ii), risk of predation (iii), interrupted mating (iv), and spermatogenesis (v). The female choice for mating with large or small body size males was investigated under three conditions: multiples choice within a population of large and small males; partial choice (ca. only one pair of small and large male) and no choice (only small or large male). Time to initiate a copula and its duration was observed after pairing males and females under the risk of predation imposed by the presence of the predatory wasp Polistes versicolor Oliver (Hym.: Vespidae). Furthermore, females had their reproductive success evaluated with interrupted mating at different intervals (30, 60, 120 and 240 minutes afterinitiating a mating) and when mating with males previously mated. The spermatogenesis of these mated and unmated males was investigated. The outcomes show that P. nigrispinus female mates with males disregarding their body size, previous mating status and, exhibits no mating partner preference in successive mates. In addition, duration of mating, partner choice and female fertility were not influenced by male body size. The risk of predation did not alter mating behavior and duration of mating. However, females with interrupted mating at 30, 60, 120 and 240 minutesexhibited low egg viability (0, 3.1, 7.7, and 34%, respectively) compared to females with uninterrupted mating (338 to 671 minutes) that showed egg viability of 74.2%. The dissection of males of different mating status shows that P. nigrispinus exhibits continuous spermatogenesis and absence of a storage seminal vesicle. Spermatozoa were present in the lumen of the vas deferents independent of mating status. The spermatheca does not change size according to the duration of mating, although its duct exhibited elasticity with significant deformation after mating for 30 minutes. Females under uninterrupted mating exhibited spermathecal duct fully expanded and spermatheca filled with spermatozoa. Based on the results, the reproductive success of P. nigrispinus male is related to the duration of copula and female requires multiple mates to fill spermatheca with spermatozoa. However, the reproductive success of the species does not depend on males’ body size and their mating status. / A realização de múltiplas e longas cópulas por Podisus nigrispinus (Dallas) (Hem.: Pentatomidae) tem sido uma incógnita. Assim, este trabalho teve como objetivo investigar o comportamento reprodutivo de macho de P. nigrispinus. A cópula foi estudada em função do tamanho do macho, status prévio de acasalamento do macho e risco de predação (i). Também, foram analisados a espermatogênese e o efeito do tempo de cópula na transferência de espermatozóides para fêmeas (ii), bem como foram descritas a espermateca e estruturas relacionadas quanto à morfologia interna e modificações ocorridas durante a cópula (iii). A escolha da fêmea por machos virgens ou previamente acasalados foi estudada sob chance múltipla, parcial ou sem chance de escolha por machos grandes ou pequenos. O comportamento para o acasalamento e duração da cópula sob risco de predação [presença de Polistes versicolor Oliver (Hym.: Vespidae)] foi comparado com casais sem risco de predação. Fêmeas tiveram osucesso de fertilização e inseminação avaliado através da interrupção da cópula após 30, 60, 120 e 240 minutos. Em função do status de acasalamento, machos foram dissecados e investigados quanto a produção e transferência de espermatozóides para as fêmeas. Os resultados mostram que o acasalamento em P. nigrispinus independe do tamanho e status prévio de acasalamento dosmachos, além de não apresentar preferência de parceiro. A duração da cópula, escolha do parceiro e a fertilidade das fêmeas não sofrem influência do tamanho do macho. Também, o risco de predação não alterou o comportamento de acasalamento e duração de cópula. Fêmeas com cópulas interrompidas após 30, 60, 120 e 240 minutos apresentaram baixa viabilidade de ovos (0; 3,1; 7,7; e 34%, respectivamente), enquanto aquelas sem interrupção de cópula (338 a 671 minutos) obtiveram 74,2% de viabilidade de ovos. Também, foi observado que machos possuem espermatogênese contínua e ausência de vesícula seminal. A análise do ducto deferente mostra espermatozóides presentes no seu lúmen independente do status de acasalamento (machos virgens, 0h, 12h ou 24h após término da cópula). Em fêmeas, o volume da espermateca não sofre alteração com a cópula. Contudo, ocorre mudança de formato do ducto elástico da espermateca a partir de 30 minutos do início da cópula. Fêmeas que tiveram cópula sem interrupção apresentaram espermatecas completamente preenchidas com espermatozóides. Para P. nigrispinus o sucesso de inseminação e fertilização de fêmeas é dependente da duração da cópula e de múltiplas cópulas. Por outro lado, o sucesso reprodutivo não depende do tamanho do macho e de seu status de acasalamento.

Mating behaviour of cockroaches is spectacular phenomenon with three different mating patterns traditionally distinguished. The most common and probably ancestral is type A - female climbing. Then it is type B - male climbing and type C - no climbing. Mating type was described in around 30 Blaberidae species. As it is the only cockroach family where all three types are present, it is an interesting model group for studying evolutionary questions. The main goal of the thesis was detail exploration and description of mating sequences in 21 Blaberidae species, 17 of which haven't been examined in this aspect before. An intrageneric diversity in mating patterns (genus Pycnoscelus) was described for the first time. Moreover, in case of P. tenebrigera, it was not possible to assign its mating pattern to any of the three traditional types. Multidimensional statistical analysis and biological interpretation of qualitative behavioural elements revealed two well separated clusters of mating sequensces. Consequently, we propose to distinguish only two types of mating pattern - ancestral type (identical with type A) and derived type. We also discussed the relationship between wing reduction and occurence of derived mating types. Evaluation of quantitative behavioural elements revealed positive correlation between...