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Related Experiment Video

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Assessment of Sexual Behavior of Male Mice
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Condition-dependent ejaculate production affects male mating behavior in the common bedbug Cimex lectularius.

Bettina Kaldun1, Oliver Otti1

  • 1Animal Population Ecology, Animal Ecology I University of Bayreuth Universitätsstrasse 30 95440 Bayreuth Germany.

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Meal size impacts bedbug ejaculate production, with well-fed males producing more sperm. Food restriction reduces mating frequency, affecting male reproductive fitness and potentially altering mating strategies.

Keywords:
Feeding behaviormating behaviorreproductive physiologysperm ecologysperm physiology

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Animal Behavior

Background:

  • Environmental food availability influences organismal resource allocation.
  • Diet composition and quantity affect male ejaculate characteristics.
  • The link between ejaculate production and male mating behavior/success remains understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of meal size on ejaculate production in male common bedbugs (Cimex lectularius).
  • To assess how feeding regimes affect male reproductive success and mating behavior.
  • To understand the interplay between environmental variation, sexual selection, and reproductive traits.

Main Methods:

  • Studied ejaculate production (sperm and seminal fluid) under three feeding regimes (large meal, small meal, no meal).
  • Analyzed data from six different populations of Cimex lectularius.
  • Quantified offspring production and mating frequency in relation to feeding status.

Main Results:

  • Males fed larger meals produced significantly more sperm and seminal fluid.
  • Ejaculate production quantity did not affect offspring numbers after a single mating.
  • Food-restricted males engaged in significantly fewer matings, incurring a fitness cost in multiple-mating scenarios.

Conclusions:

  • Meal size influences ejaculate quantity but not ejaculate quality.
  • Food availability dictates a condition-dependent mating rate in males.
  • Environmental variation impacting ejaculate volume may drive adaptive changes in male mating strategies, highlighting the interaction between natural and sexual selection.