Abstract
We examined the relationships between male body and horn sizes and mating duration in the Japanese horned beetle, Allomyrina dichotoma. Smaller males possessing shorter horns spent more time for copulation with a female and mounting the female without copulation. The results of multiple regression analyses indicate that the horn length is a determining factor for the time spent by the males during mating. A previous study has documented that the horn length of male A. dichotoma primarily determined the outcomes of aggressive male–male interactions; hence, predicts access to females. Therefore, instead of fighting for females, males possessing short horns may maximize their fertilization success by mating longer with the few females they have access to.
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful to M. Chiba and N. Seki for culture maintenance of animals and to Z. Gomes and two anonymous reviewers for critical reading of the earlier version of the manuscript. This research was performed in compliance with the guideline of the Animal Care and Use Committee of Tokyo Gakugei University.
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Karino, K., Niiyama, H. Males with short horns spent more time mating in the Japanese horned beetle Allomyrina dichotoma . acta ethol 9, 95–98 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10211-006-0020-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10211-006-0020-8