Rasa OA, Bisch S, Teichner T
Abt. Ethologie, Zoologisches Institut, Bonn University
Anim Behav. 1998 Nov;56(5):1213-1220. doi: 10.1006/anbe.1998.0889.
In Parastizopus armaticeps (Tenebrionidae), a nocturnal desert beetle, the males excavate breeding burrows and maintain their moisture level while the females provision the larvae with detritus collected on the surface. The beetles court in small groups on the surface at night after rain. Male size distribution in these groups corresponded to that in the population but more large and fewer small females were present than expected and more large beetles of both sexes bred. Offspring number correlated positively with burrow depth and body length for males but not for females. Since large males dig deeper burrows, which results in higher larval survival rate, females should prefer them. In choice experiments, females selected larger males. Behavioural analyses showed that choice was not dependent on differences in male courtship activity or intermale dominance. When the mass of the smaller male was increased experimentally by a dorsally attached weight, the smaller male was preferred, females estimating male size difference by mass. Partner choice is therefore epigamic for a male phenotypic character which correlates with both parenting ability and greater reproductive success for females. Copyright 1998 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.
在夜行性沙漠甲虫武装拟步甲（拟步甲科）中，雄性挖掘繁殖洞穴并维持其湿度水平，而雌性则用在地表收集的碎屑喂养幼虫。雨后夜晚，甲虫会在地表小群聚集求偶。这些群体中雄性的体型分布与种群中的一致，但雌性中大型个体比预期的多，小型个体比预期的少，且两性中更多大型甲虫参与繁殖。雄性的后代数量与洞穴深度和体长呈正相关，而雌性则不然。由于大型雄性挖掘的洞穴更深，这会导致幼虫存活率更高，所以雌性应该更喜欢大型雄性。在选择实验中，雌性选择了体型更大的雄性。行为分析表明，这种选择并不取决于雄性求偶活动或雄性间支配地位的差异。当通过在较小雄性背部附加重物来增加其体重时，该较小雄性更受青睐，雌性通过体重来估计雄性体型差异。因此，配偶选择是基于一种与雄性表型特征相关的求偶行为，这种特征既与育幼能力相关，又能为雌性带来更高的繁殖成功率。版权所有1998年动物行为研究协会。
