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Female Promiscuity Does Not Lead to Increased Fertility or Fecundity in an Arctiid Moth (Utetheisa ornatrix)

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Abstract

Prior work has demonstrated significant phenotypic benefits to female promiscuity in the arctiid moth Utetheisa ornatrix. We were interested in determining whether U. ornatrix females also derive genetic benefits from mating multiply. We specifically tested whether, by mating with several males, females are able to exploit postcopulatory mechanisms that decrease the risk of fertilization by incompatible sperm. We show evidence that U. ornatrix females are not taking multiple mates as fertilization insurance because: (1) females that mate once are as fertile as those that mate three times; and (2) females that take three different mates are no more fertile than those that mate three times with the same male.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by National Institutes of Health grant AI02908 (T. E.) and National Institutes of Mental Health training grant 5T32MH15793 (A. B.) We thank H. Kern Reeve, Jerrold Meinwald, and David P. McCobb for comments on the manuscript and Julie Bezzerides for technical assistance and help in maintaining the moth culture.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Barron County, 1800 College Drive, Rice Lake, WI, 54868, USA

    Alexander L. Bezzerides

  2. Department of Biology, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, 19085, USA

    Vikram K. Iyengar

  3. Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA

    Thomas Eisner

Authors
  1. Alexander L. Bezzerides
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  2. Vikram K. Iyengar
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  3. Thomas Eisner
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Correspondence to Alexander L. Bezzerides.

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Bezzerides, A.L., Iyengar, V.K. & Eisner, T. Female Promiscuity Does Not Lead to Increased Fertility or Fecundity in an Arctiid Moth (Utetheisa ornatrix). J Insect Behav 21, 213–221 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-008-9121-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-008-9121-8

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