De Pasqual, Chiara
- Institutionen för växtskyddsbiologi, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
Sammanfattning
Color polymorphisms in natural populations often reflect the interplay between various selective pressures, such as natural and sexual selection. In this study, we investigate the dynamics of sexual selection operating on color polymorphism in wood tiger moths under different ecological contexts. Wood tiger moths exhibit polymorphism in male hindwing coloration, with individuals possessing one or two dominant W alleles displaying two forms of white coloration that differ in their UV reflectance (WW, Wy), while those with two recessive y alleles exhibit yellow coloration (yy). Females carry the color alleles, but do not express them phenotypically. We performed two mate choice experiments that simulated two ecological conditions: one with limited morph availability and low male encounter rates and the other with all morphs present and high potential for male encounters. We demonstrate that WW males experience higher overall mating success compared to yy males, irrespective of the presence of Wy males and male encounter rates. Surprisingly, mating with a WW male does not confer direct reproductive benefits to females in terms of lifetime reproductive success; instead, Wy females exhibit overall higher reproductive success regardless of their mating partner. Although the precise mechanism driving the higher mating success of WW males remains unclear, a temporal decline in mating success of WW males indicates potential differences in male mating strategies. Our findings suggest that despite the higher mating success of homozygote white males over homozygote yellow males, polymorphism likely persists due to the reproductive advantage of heterozygous individuals or other balancing selective forces.Animals are often characterized by distinct color morphs, but how these are maintained within populations is not always clear. By studying the polymorphic wood tiger moth in two different ecological settings, we show a consistent difference in mating success between male color morphs. As sexual selection affects color morphs differently, it likely plays a role in maintaining polymorphism in this species, alongside other selective forces.
Nyckelord
attraction; color morph; color polymorphism; fitness; sexual selection; warning coloration
Publicerad i
Behavioral Ecology
2025, volym: 36, nummer: 3, artikelnummer: araf027
Utgivare: OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC
SLU författare
UKÄ forskningsämne
Ekologi
Zoologi
Publikationens identifierare
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/araf027
Permanent länk till denna sida (URI)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/141889