Monday, 18 November 2002 - 8:00 AM
0338

This presentation is part of : Ten-Minute Papers, Subsection Cd. Behavior and Ecology (Session 3)

The effect of free female mate choice on offspring fitness in spotted cucumber beetles, Diabrotica undecimpuctata howardi

Douglas W. Tallamy and Evelyn Walsh. University of Delaware, Newark, DE

We tested the hypothesis that females free to choose their mates without hindrance from male/male competition, female/female contests, male choice, or male coercion acquire viability and/or attractiveness benefits for offspring. We used spotted cucumber beetle, Diabrotica undecimpuctata howardi as a model and measured offspring survival, size, mating success, and fecundity where mothers chose their mates and when non-preferred mates were assigned to the mothers. The relationship between female preference and male antennal stroking speed was also determined.

Species 1: Coleoptera Chrysomelidae Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi (Spotted Cucumber Beetle)
Keywords: Sexual selection

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