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The effect of mating on starvation resistance in natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster

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Abstract

In nature, behavioural and physiological processes involved in mating may entail different costs and benefits for males and females. However, it has been hypothesized that sexual interactions may have additional costs for Drosophila females like decrease in receptivity to remating and shortening of lifespan. During mating, males transfer seminal fluid proteins to females that exert severe physiological changes that may compromise female’s lifespan and reproductive success. However, under specific stressful environmental conditions that organisms usually face in nature, mating may also confer benefits to females. In the present work, we examine the effect of mating on starvation resistance in wild Drosophila melanogaster. We demonstrate that mated females derived from different geographic locations have the benefit of a greater starvation resistance as compared to virgin females. Even though mating status did not affect mean starvation resistance, we detected a strong genotype-specific effect in males. Beyond the obvious advantage of mating, our study reveals that mating might not be perilous for females, as envisaged by sexual conflict theories, but advantageous for flies exposed to shifts in environmental conditions. Thus, our results highlight the importance of studying other ecologically relevant traits that may contribute to the evolution of male–female interactions.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank J. A. Endler (Editor in Chief), D. Hosken and M. Hall (Associate Editors) and two anonymous reviewers for critical suggestions and advice that helped to improve previous versions of this paper. This research was supported by grants from CONICET, ANPCyT and Universidad de Buenos Aires. J. G. was recipient of a fellowship from University of Buenos Aires, J. M. is recipient of a fellowship from CONICET. J. J. F. and E. H. members of Carrera de Investigador Científico of CONICET (Argentina).

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  1. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Ciudad Universitaria, Pab II, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Julieta Goenaga, Julián Mensch, Juan José Fanara & Esteban Hasson

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  1. Julieta Goenaga
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  2. Julián Mensch
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Correspondence to Julieta Goenaga.

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Goenaga, J., Mensch, J., Fanara, J.J. et al. The effect of mating on starvation resistance in natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster . Evol Ecol 26, 813–823 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10682-011-9540-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10682-011-9540-4

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