Sexual Selection and Nuptial Feeding Behavior in Bittacus apicalis (Insecta: Mecoptera)

1976 ◽  
Vol 110 (974) ◽  
pp. 529-548 ◽  
Author(s):  
Randy Thornhill
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Feeding Behavior ◽  
Nuptial Feeding

The evolution of sexual dimorphism in the lizard Anolis polylepis (Iguania): evidence from intraspecific variation in foraging behavior and diet

1996 ◽  
Vol 74 (7) ◽  
pp. 1238-1245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gad Perry
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
Feeding Behavior ◽  
Rain Forest ◽  
Sexual Size Dimorphism ◽  
Costa Rican ◽  
Agonistic Interactions ◽  
Size Dimorphism ◽  
Food Items ◽  
Competing Hypotheses

Two main explanations, intraspecific niche divergence and sexual selection, have been proposed to explain the origin of sexual size dimorphism. To test these competing hypotheses I studied the ecology, feeding behavior, and diet of the lizard Anolis polylepis in a Costa Rican rain forest. Male A. polylepis were significantly larger and heavier than females but ate smaller food items and had lower stomach volumes, despite possessing longer and wider heads. Males were more sedentary than females or juveniles, chose higher perches, and were more likely to be involved in agonistic interactions. Diets of males, females, and juveniles were also significantly different taxonomically. These data are consistent with the sexual selection origin theory but not with an ecological one. Thus, observed dietary differences probably evolved once dimorphism had been attained through sexual selection.

scholarly journals How Does the Male Penisfilum Enter the Female Copulatory Pore in Hangingflies?

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 123
Author(s):  
Zheng Wei ◽  
Xin Tong ◽  
Bao-Zhen Hua
Keyword(s):  
Feeding Behavior ◽  
Mating Behavior ◽  
Functional Morphology ◽  
Nuptial Gift ◽  
Spermathecal Duct ◽  
Nuptial Feeding ◽  
Subgenital Plate ◽  
Female Abdomen

Hangingflies are characterized by the interesting nuptial feeding behavior and unusual belly-to-belly hanging mating position. However, the mating behavior and the copulatory mechanism remain poorly known for Bittacidae, especially how the elongated male penisfilum enters the copulatory pore of the female. In this study, the mating behavior and copulatory mechanism of Terrobittacus implicatus (Huang and Hua, 2006) were investigated to reveal the functional morphology of hangingfly genitalia. The results show that the male provides a prey as a nuptial gift to the female and twists his abdomen about 180° to form a belly-to-belly hanging mating position. During the penisfilum-entering process, the male epandrial lobes clamp the female subgenital plate with the aid of the female abdomen swelling. Then the male locates the female copulatory pore through his upper branch of the proctiger and inserts his penisfilum into the female spermathecal duct in cooperation with the short setae on the groove of the proctiger. The female subgenital plate where the epandrial lobes clamp is strongly sclerotized and melanized. The copulatory mechanism of Terrobittacus is briefly discussed.

scholarly journals When are vomiting males attractive? Sexual selection on condition-dependent nuptial feeding in Drosophila subobscura

2009 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 289-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elina Immonen ◽  
Anneli Hoikkala ◽  
Anahita J.N. Kazem ◽  
Michael G. Ritchie
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Drosophila Subobscura ◽  
Nuptial Feeding
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