Department of Applied Entomology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursnowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland.
Exp Appl Acarol. 2013 Aug;60(4):433-44. doi: 10.1007/s10493-013-9657-y. Epub 2013 Jan 18.
Under sex dissociated sperm transfer, females seek spermatophores and pick up sperm without male assistance. In several species males adjust spermatophore deposition rate to the presence of conspecifics. It is not known, however, which factors could favor such elasticity in non-pairing males. In this paper, we compare male response towards conspecifics between the sex dissociated eriophyoid mites Aculus fockeui (Nalepa and Trouessart) and Aculops allotrichus (Nalepa). The species differ significantly in male reproductive strategies and, consequently, the intensity of male-male-competition. Aculus fockeui males deposit spematophores all over the leaves and occasionally leave single spermatophores beside quiescent female nymphs (QFNs). In contrast, A. allotrichus males guard QFNs and encircle them with spermatophores. In this study, males of both species deposited spermatophores close to and apart from the rival spermatophores. Aculops allotrichus males had similar spermatophore output whether they were kept alone or in a group of seven males. They did not change spermatophore output in the presence of five rival spermatophores, a QFN or a QFN and varying number of rivals, either. In contrast, A. fockeui males increased spermatophore output in the presence of rival spermatophores or when on the arena with a QFN the male number increased to eight males. They did not respond, however, to the presence of a QFN and one rival or a QFN alone. The possible effect of the species-specific intensity of male-male competition, population density, the availability of receptive females and the rate of spermatophore output on the flexibility of eriophyoid spermatophore deposition is discussed.
在性别分离的精子转移中，雌性无需雄性帮助即可寻找精荚并获取精子。在某些物种中，雄性会根据同种个体的存在来调整精荚沉积率。然而，目前尚不清楚哪些因素可以使非配对雄性具有这种弹性。在本文中，我们比较了性别分离的粉虱螨虫 Aculus fockeui（Nalepa 和 Trouessart）和 Aculops allotrichus（Nalepa）雄性对同种个体的反应。这两个物种在雄性生殖策略上存在显著差异，因此雄性之间的竞争强度也不同。Aculus fockeui 雄性会在叶片上到处沉积精荚，偶尔也会在静止的雌性若虫（QFN）旁边留下单个精荚。相比之下，A. allotrichus 雄性会守护 QFN，并在其周围环绕精荚。在这项研究中，两种物种的雄性都会在靠近和远离竞争对手的精荚处沉积精荚。Aculops allotrichus 雄性无论是单独饲养还是饲养在一个由 7 只雄性组成的群体中，它们的精荚输出量都相似。无论周围是否有 5 个竞争对手的精荚、QFN 或 QFN 和不同数量的竞争对手，它们都不会改变精荚输出量。相比之下，A. fockeui 雄性在有竞争对手的精荚存在时或当 QFN 存在时，雄性数量增加到 8 只时，会增加精荚输出量。然而，当存在一个 QFN 和一个竞争对手或只有一个 QFN 时，它们不会做出反应。讨论了物种特异性的雄性竞争强度、种群密度、可接受雌性的存在以及精荚输出率对粉虱精荚沉积灵活性的可能影响。
