FEMALES ARE CHOOSIER IN THE DARK: ENVIRONMENT-DEPENDENT RELIANCE ON COURTSHIP COMPONENTS AND ITS IMPACT ON FITNESS

A broad understanding of multimodal courtship function necessitates knowledge of the potential information content of siganl components, the efficacy of signal components in eliciting the appropriate receiver response, and the fitness consequences of mating decisions based upon various components. W...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Evolution 2011-01, Vol.65 (1), p.268-282
Main Authors:	Rundus, Aaron S., Sullivan-Beckers, Laura, Wilgers, Dustin J., Hebets, Eileen A.
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Animal behavior Animal Communication Animal reproduction Animals Color Communication Courtship Diet Environment Evolution Experimentation Female Female animals Females Genetic Fitness Light Male Mating behavior Mating Preference, Animal Reproduction Schizocosa signal evolution Signals spider Spiders Spiders - genetics Spiders - physiology Trials Wolves
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Summary:	A broad understanding of multimodal courtship function necessitates knowledge of the potential information content of siganl components, the efficacy of signal components in eliciting the appropriate receiver response, and the fitness consequences of mating decisions based upon various components. We present data addressing each of these requirements for the multimodal-signaling wolf spider, Schizocosa floridana Bryant. Using diet manipulations, we first demonstrate that both visual and seismic courtship signals are condition-dependent. Next, using high- and low-quantity diet individuals in mate choice trials across manipulated signaling environments, we demonstrate that the seismic signal is crucial for mating success and furthur show that female chooseiness is environment-dependent. Females mated more with high diet males only in the absence of visual signals, showing no discrimination in the presence of visual signals. Finally, by quantifying the number of offspring produced by our mated females, we reveal that a female's mating environment, in conjuction with her potential resource availability, influences her fitness—in environments in which females exerted choice, heavier females produced more offspring. Together, this comprehensive set of experiments demonstrates that female choosiness varies across environment, leading to direct fitness consequences.
ISSN:	0014-3820 1558-5646