Male spiders reduce pre- and postmating sexual investment in response to sperm competition risk

Cristina Tuni, Sabrina Weber, Trine Bilde and Gabriele Uhl

Behavioral Ecology, 2017, vol. 28, issue 4, 1030-1036

Abstract: Lay SummaryIn response to competition, males should invest in premating traits (i.e., courtship) to enhance their mating success or in postmating traits (i.e., sperm) to increase fertilization success. We show instead that in the presence of a rival, spiders courting females with food gifts reduce both, investment in gifts and sperm. In competitive environments, accessing more females through low-quality gifts rather than allocating large amounts of sperm to each mating may confer highest fitness rewards.

Keywords: nuptial gifts; sexual selection; sperm competition (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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