How widespread and diverse is post-copulatory courtship and what are some good examples where the function/s have been studied? In Nasonia, it serves to reduce female receptivity (mate guarding in-absentia), but there may be more to it. Does anyone else have any good examples?
Hi Becca,
Copulatory courtship is widespread in insects although quite difficult to interpret at times. I attach, for your reference, Eberhard, 1991. Hope this helps.
Courtship outside the breeding season was seen in desert tortoises during the Nature Conservancy project (Herpetologicall Monographs Volume 8)
Carazo et al. published a paper in Proc. R. Soc. in 2007 where they illustrate the role of post-copulatory guarding in a beetle in avoidance of sperm competition: http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/274/1607/261.full. I suppose this is a good example of another function of post-copulatory strategies than reducing female receptivity, and it is probably quite common in insects.
Post-copulatory displays are common in waterfowl and other bird groups. Evidence from display orientation, display form and phylogenetic reconstruction suggests that the most likely function of post-copulatory displays within the dabbling duck group are pair-bond maintenance, individual recognition, or signaling a successful copulation.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/222512943_The_evolution_of_postcopulatory_displays_in_dabbling_ducks_(Anatini)_a_phylogenetic_perspective?fulltextDialog=true
Article The evolution of postcopulatory displays in dabbling ducks (...
Post copulatory courtship (displaying to female and at oviposition sites) is important in Calopteryx damselflies - helps keep female in male's territory while she lays eggs fertilized by his sperm. Should she leave, there is a good chance she will remate and his sperm will be removed. See, for example:
Article Adaptive significance of postcopulatory guarding of mates an...
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Biological Science
- Evolutionary Biology