Females reward courtship by competing males in a cannibalistic spider |
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Authors: | J A Stoltz D O Elias M C B Andrade |
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Institution: | (1) Integrative Behaviour and Neuroscience Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada, M1C 1A4;(2) Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, SG Mudd Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA |
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Abstract: | Despite widespread recognition that intersexual interactions shape reproductive strategies, studies of male competition do
not typically include effects imposed by females. In cannibalistic redback spiders, escalated fighting between rival suitors
is predicted, as males are unlikely to mate with more than one female, and strong first-male sperm precedence favours mating
with virgins. In staged competitions for matings between size mismatched rivals, smaller males adopted an alternative sneaking
strategy. However, despite initial agonistic interactions, larger males did not pursue or incapacitate smaller males. When
inter-male competition occurred, females struck at males frequently, although strikes were rarely seen when males courted
in the absence of a rival. After minimal fighting, larger males engaged in significant courtship (3 h) rather than killing
inferior rivals. Prolonged courtship was favoured by female behaviour, as males that attempted rapid copulation (smaller,
sneaking males) were cannibalised before mating was completed. This premature cannibalism significantly decreases paternity
in redback spiders. Thus, significant features of male competitive behaviour (i.e. prolonged courtship by larger males) may
be predicted with consideration of the female’s response to male reproductive strategies. Although the effect of females may
be more subtle in systems without the extreme reversed size-dimorphism of redbacks, these results suggest that female interests
should be explicitly considered when studying inter-male interactions. |
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Keywords: | Female choice Male competition Courtship Cannibalism |
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