Effect of male mating history on females in Spalangia endius (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), a parasitoid of house fly pupae

Does mating with a male that has already mated hurt a female’s ability to reproduce and does she compensate by remating? Males were presented with up to five females in succession. Later females in the succession were more likely to be subsequently mounted by another male. However, all females seldom copulated again. Being a fifth mate reduced a female’s production of daughters, whereas being a third mate did not. Sex ratios in this species are one male for every one and a half to three females. Thus, the prevalence of fifth females will depend on how skewed mating success is among males. A tendency of females to mate with virgin males when given a choice may reduce the skew.