Male mate choice in Trichogramma turkestanica

Abstract

In most animals it is the sex that invests the most in reproduction, generally the female, that expresses mate choice. However, in numerous species, males or both males and females are choosy. We investigated mate choice in males of the egg parasitoid Trichogramma turkestanica Meyer (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae). We tested the impact of age and feeding status of males on their capacity to choose between virgin or mated and kin or non-kin females. As expected, males showed no preference between kin and non-kin mates, but inseminated virgin females over mated ones. No effect of age on the level of choosiness was found, but unfed males were choosier than fed ones. This is the first study to show an effect of feeding status of males on mate choice in insect parasitoids.

Keywords

choosiness; discrimination; hymenoptera; parasitoids; trichogrammatidae; Trichogramma turkestanica

Published in

Journal of Insect Behavior
2008, volume: 21, number: 2, pages: 63-71

SLU Authors

• Martel, Véronique

  • Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    
  • Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

UKÄ Subject classification

Environmental Sciences and Nature Conservation

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-007-9107-y

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/16935