Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
Elon University, Elon, North Carolina, USA.
J Evol Biol. 2022 Jan;35(1):91-99. doi: 10.1111/jeb.13965. Epub 2021 Dec 17.
Reproductive interference, reproductive interactions between heterospecific individuals including mating, is commonly reported across taxa, but its drivers are still unclear. Studying interspecific matings in the context of their conspecific mating system-by relating an individual's conspecific mating behaviour to its heterospecific interactions-offers a powerful approach to address this uncertainty. Here, we compare inter- and intraspecific mating dynamics in the squash bug Anasa tristis and its close relative Anasa andresii under semi-natural conditions. Using replicated enclosures, we surveyed the mating behaviour of individually marked A. tristis and A. andresii (five males and five females of each species per trial) at hourly intervals using a robotic camera system over a 14-day period. We uncovered high levels of reproductive interference (19% of individuals engaged in interspecific matings), but the majority of mating activity took place between conspecifics. A. tristis females which engaged in interspecific matings had comparable hatching success with those which did not. Therefore, in this system, relatively high levels of reproductive interference may emerge under semi-natural conditions as a by-product of limited intraspecific pre-copulatory choice paired with limited fitness penalties for at least one of the species involved.
种间生殖干扰，即不同物种个体之间的交配等生殖相互作用，在多个分类单元中都有报道，但干扰的驱动因素仍不清楚。在研究种间交配时，将个体的同种交配行为与其种间相互作用联系起来，这种方法可以有力地解决这一不确定性。在这里，我们在半自然条件下比较了南瓜实蝇 Anasa tristis 和其近缘种 Anasa andresii 的种间和种内交配动态。我们使用复制的围栏，在 14 天的时间内，使用机器人摄像系统每隔一小时对单独标记的 A. tristis 和 A. andresii （每种各 5 只雄性和 5 只雌性）的交配行为进行调查。我们发现了高水平的生殖干扰（19%的个体进行了种间交配），但大多数交配活动发生在同种之间。进行种间交配的 A. tristis 雌蝇与未进行种间交配的雌蝇的孵化成功率相当。因此，在这个系统中，在半自然条件下，种间生殖干扰可能会相对较高，这是由于有限的种内预交配选择与至少一种相关物种的有限适应值惩罚相结合的副产品。
