Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
J Med Entomol. 2011 Mar;48(2):202-11. doi: 10.1603/me10071.
Male reproductive success is dependent on insemination success and reproductive output. During mating, male mosquitoes transfer not just sperm, but also seminal fluid proteins that may have profound effects on mated female biology and behavior. In this study, we investigated the role of male body size and mating history on semen depletion, female longevity, and reproductive success in Aedes aegypti L. Small and large males were mated in rapid succession with up to five females. Our results indicate that large males had greater mating capacity than small males. A reduction in fecundity by >50% was observed in females that were fourth to mate with small males in comparison with females that mated earlier in sequence. For females mated to large males, this reduction became evident for females that mated fifth in sequence. No loss of fertility (measured as hatch rate) was observed in females that were third-fifth in mating sequence compared with females mated to virgin males. When females were maintained on a low-quality (5% sucrose) diet, those mated to virgin males had a greater longevity compared with females mated third in sequence. We conclude that small males experience more rapid seminal depletion than large males, and discuss the role of semen depletion in the mated female. Our results contribute toward a better understanding of the complexity of Ae. aegypti mating biology and provide refined estimates of mating capacity for genetic control efforts.
雄性生殖成功取决于授精成功和生殖产出。在交配过程中，雄性蚊子不仅传递精子，还传递精液蛋白，这些蛋白可能对交配后的雌性生物学和行为产生深远影响。在这项研究中，我们调查了雄性体型和交配史对埃及伊蚊精液耗竭、雌性寿命和生殖成功的影响。小体型和大体型雄性与多达五只雌性迅速交配。我们的结果表明，大体型雄性比小体型雄性具有更强的交配能力。与较早交配的雌性相比，与小体型雄性交配第四位的雌性的繁殖力下降了 50%以上。对于与大体型雄性交配的雌性，这种减少在第五位交配的雌性中变得明显。与与处女雄交配的雌性相比，在交配顺序中排名第三到第五位的雌性的生育力（以孵化率衡量）没有下降。当雌性被维持在低质量（5%蔗糖）饮食时，与第三位交配的雌性相比，与处女雄交配的雌性寿命更长。我们得出结论，小体型雄性比大体型雄性经历更快的精液耗竭，并讨论了精液耗竭在交配后雌性中的作用。我们的研究结果有助于更好地理解埃及伊蚊交配生物学的复杂性，并为遗传控制工作提供更精确的交配能力估计。
