Reading for Animal Behavior Discussion Group-Feb. 15

Sensory exploitation as an evolutionary origin to nuptial food gifts in insects

Author: Scott K. Sakaluk 

Source: PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON SERIES B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES    Volume: 267    Issue: 1441    Pages:339-343    Published: 2000

Abstract: Nuptial food gifts given by males to females at mating are widespread in insects, but their evolutionary origin remains obscure. Such gifts may arise as a form of sensory trap that exploits the normal gustatory responses of females, favouring the selective retention of sperm of gift-giving males. I tested this hypothesis by offering foreign food gifts, synthesized by males of one cricket species, to females of three non-gift-giving species. Females provisioned with novel food gifts were ‘fooled’ into accepting more sperm than they otherwise would in the absence of a gift. These results support the hypothesis that nuptial food gifts and post-copulatory female mating preferences coevolve through a unique form of sensory exploitation.

~ by ajshriver on February 15, 2008.