Fitness cost of pheromone production in signaling female moths.
Evolution
; 65(6): 1572-82, 2011 Jun.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-21644949
A secondary sexual character may act as an honest signal of the quality of the individual if the trait bears a cost and if its expression is phenotypically condition dependent. The cost of increasing the trait should be tolerable for individuals in good condition but not for those in a poor condition. The trait thus provides an honest signal of quality that enables the receiver to choose higher quality mates. Evidence for sex pheromones, which play a major role in shaping sexual evolution, inflicting a signaling cost is scarce. Here, we demonstrate that the amount of the major component of the pheromone in glands of Lobesia botrana (Lepidoptera) females at signaling time was significantly greater in large than in small females, that male moths preferred larger females as mates when responding to volatile signals, and small virgin females, but not large ones, exposed to conspecific pheromone, produced, when mated, significantly fewer eggs than nonexposed females. The latter indicates a condition-dependent cost of signaling. These results are in accordance with the predictions of condition-dependent honest signals. We therefore suggest that female signaling for males using sex pheromones bears a cost and thus calling may serve as honest advertisement for female quality.
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Atractivos Sexuales
/
Comunicación Animal
/
Preferencia en el Apareamiento Animal
/
Mariposas Nocturnas
Tipo de estudio:
Health_economic_evaluation
Límite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Evolution
Año:
2011
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Israel
Pais de publicación:
Estados Unidos