Male and female developmental temperature modulate post-copulatory interactions in a beetle

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary Biology
• Reproductive Biology
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Sexual selection theory explains male-female interactions during fertilization.
• Abiotic environmental factors, like temperature, can modulate sexual selection outcomes.
• Reproductive traits are sensitive to temperature stress, affecting post-copulatory interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of developmental temperature on female reproductive architecture in Callosobruchus maculatus.
• To examine the interaction between male and female developmental temperatures on sperm competition outcomes.
• To understand how environmental temperature influences pre- and post-copulatory sexual selection.

Main Methods:

• Rearing female and male Callosobruchus maculatus at different developmental temperatures (low, intermediate, high).
• Measuring female reproductive architecture, specifically the bursa copulatrix.
• Observing mating frequency, copulation duration, and assessing sperm competition success under varying temperature conditions.

Main Results:

• Developmental temperature altered female bursa copulatrix size and shape.
• Lower developmental temperatures reduced mating frequency for both sexes.
• Males reared at lower temperatures were less successful in sperm competition, with interactions between male and female developmental temperatures influencing outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Developmental temperature significantly influences reproductive morphology and behavior in Callosobruchus maculatus.
• Environmental plasticity in reproductive traits can lead to varied selection pressures on male phenotypes.
• Temperature-mediated changes in female traits and cryptic female preferences impact sexual selection dynamics.