Lifetime Variation in Choosiness in Female Enchenopa Binotata Treehoppers (Hemiptera: Membracidae)
Mentor 1
Rafael Rodriguez
Mentor 2
Bretta Speck
Location
Union Wisconsin Room
Start Date
5-4-2019 1:30 PM
End Date
5-4-2019 3:30 PM
Description
In nature, mate choice is an important cause of natural and sexual selection. Mate choice decisions arise from the interactions of preference functions and choosiness. Preference functions specify the attractiveness ranking of potential mates to individual females; and choosiness is the effort that a given female will expend to obtain a preferred mate type. As individuals age, their choosiness is expected to decrease, in order to help ensure some reproductive success. We tested this hypothesis with Enchenopa binotata treehoppers. These insects communicate with plant-borne vibrational signals. We presented females with vibrational playbacks of attractive and unattractive male advertisement signals and recorded their responses to each (Enchenopa females establish duets with males they prefer and aid them in mate location). We tested females weekly from the time of reproductive maturity until their death. We measured choosiness by subtracting unattractive duet length from attractive duet length. The results support our prediction that female choosiness decreases with age. We also measured female mass weekly and found that it did not change with age, indicating that it did not influence the change in choosiness. Choosiness plays a significant role in mate choice decisions throughout the female treehoppers’ lifetime. The decrease in choosiness gives an increased availability in mate selection which is important for biological fitness in nature.
Lifetime Variation in Choosiness in Female Enchenopa Binotata Treehoppers (Hemiptera: Membracidae)
Union Wisconsin Room
In nature, mate choice is an important cause of natural and sexual selection. Mate choice decisions arise from the interactions of preference functions and choosiness. Preference functions specify the attractiveness ranking of potential mates to individual females; and choosiness is the effort that a given female will expend to obtain a preferred mate type. As individuals age, their choosiness is expected to decrease, in order to help ensure some reproductive success. We tested this hypothesis with Enchenopa binotata treehoppers. These insects communicate with plant-borne vibrational signals. We presented females with vibrational playbacks of attractive and unattractive male advertisement signals and recorded their responses to each (Enchenopa females establish duets with males they prefer and aid them in mate location). We tested females weekly from the time of reproductive maturity until their death. We measured choosiness by subtracting unattractive duet length from attractive duet length. The results support our prediction that female choosiness decreases with age. We also measured female mass weekly and found that it did not change with age, indicating that it did not influence the change in choosiness. Choosiness plays a significant role in mate choice decisions throughout the female treehoppers’ lifetime. The decrease in choosiness gives an increased availability in mate selection which is important for biological fitness in nature.
