Sperm (ejaculate) competition in Drosophila melanogaster , and the reproductive value of females to males in relation to female age and mating status

Abstract

In double mating experiments with Drosophila melanogaster in which one male had been irradiated, it was confirmed that sperm displacement is extensive, i.e. the second male to mate displaces most of the previously‐stored sperm. The predominance of the second ejaculate over the first increases with the interval between the two matings, from about P 2 = 0.83 (second mating on the first day after the first mating) to about P 2 = 0.99 (interval between mating = 14 days) where P 2 is the proportion of offspring fathered by the second male. A more accurate method for calculating P 2 values is developed for experiments in which sperm are ‘labelled’ by irradiation treatment (equation 1). Observations of the reducing egg production of the female throughout life were also obtained. A model is examined which incorporates both the sperm competition and egg production data to predict the reproductive value to a male of a mating with a given type of female, varying in age and mating status. The relative value (in terms of probable numbers of progeny gained) of a mating with a virgin or 4 day post‐mating female is about twice that of a 14 day post‐mating female, mainly because of the fecundity difference. Some evolutionary aspects of sperm competition and multiple mating in insects are reviewed and discussed.