Abstract
The influence of male age on female mate preference and reproductive performance in the cabbage beetle, Colaphellus bowringi was examined, using male and female adults of varying ages (young, middle-aged and old) after a single mating. In a simultaneous choice test, females of all age class preferentially mated with middle-aged males. Mating duration was positively related to male age. Longevity of females was not significantly affected by male age. Young females paired to middle-aged males had significantly higher egg production than those paired to old males, and the eggs of females paired to middle-aged males exhibited significantly higher hatching success than the eggs of females mated to young or old males. These results suggest that middle-aged males are more advantageous for female fitness than young and old males.
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The research was supported by a grant from National Natural Science Foundation of P.R. China (31000176).
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An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10905-011-9255-y
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Liu, XP., Xu, J., He, HM. et al. Male Age Affects Female Mate Preference and Reproductive Performance in the Cabbage Beetle, Colaphellus bowringi . J Insect Behav 24, 83–93 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-010-9237-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-010-9237-5