Seminal fluids mediate sexual inhibition and short copula duration in mated female Queensland fruit flies.

Molecules in male seminal fluid transferred to female insects during mating can have potent effects on their subsequent sexual and reproductive behaviour. Like many other tephritids, female Queensland fruit flies (Bactrocera tryoni) typically have diminished sexual receptivity after their first mating. Also, copulations of females that do remate tend to be shorter than those of virgins. We here find that virgin females injected with small doses (0.1, 0.2 or 0.5 male equivalents) of extracts from the male reproductive tract accessory tissues, which consist of male accessory glands, ejaculatory apodeme and ejaculatory duct (AG/EA/ED), have diminished receptivity and short copula duration very similar to naturally mated females. In contrast, virgin females injected with saline or with high doses of AG/EA/ED (1 or 2 male equivalents) that likely exceed the range of natural variation retain the higher levels of sexual receptivity and longer copulations of un-injected virgins. We conclude that reduced sexual receptivity and shorter copulations of mated female Q-flies are mediated by products in the male seminal fluid derived from the male reproductive tract accessory tissues.

Radhakrishnan P ，Taylor PW 《JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY》

Remating inhibition in female Queensland fruit flies: effects and correlates of sperm storage.

Reproductive success of male insects commonly hinges both on their ability to secure copulations with many mates and also on their ability to inseminate and inhibit subsequent sexual receptivity of their mates to rival males. We here present the first investigation of sperm storage in Queensland fruit flies (Tephritidae: Bactrocera tryoni; a.k.a. 'Q-flies') and address the question of whether remating inhibition in females is directly influenced by or correlated with number of sperm stored from their first mates. We used irradiation to disrupt spermatogenesis and thereby experimentally reduce the number of sperm stored by some male's mates while leaving other aspects of male sexual performance (mating probability, latency until copulating, copula duration) unaffected. Females that mated with irradiated rather than normal males were less likely to store any sperm at all (50% vs. 89%) and, if some sperm were stored, the number was greatly reduced (median 11 vs. 120). Despite the considerable differences in sperm storage, females mated by normal males and irradiated males were similarly likely to remate at the next opportunity, indicating (1) number of sperm stored does not directly drive female remating inhibition and (2) factors actually responsible for remating inhibition are similarly expressed in normal and irradiated males. While overall levels of remating were similar for mates of normal and irradiated males, factors responsible for female remating inhibition were positively associated with presence and number of sperm stored by mates of normal but not irradiated males. We suggest seminal fluids as the most likely factor responsible for remating inhibition in female Q-flies, as these are likely to be transported in proportion to number of sperm in normal males, be uninfluenced by irradiation, and be transported without systematic relation to sperm number in irradiated males.

Harmer AM ，Radhakrishnan P ，Taylor PW 《JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY》

Ability of male Queensland fruit flies to inhibit receptivity in multiple mates, and the associated recovery of accessory glands.

Mating success of male insects is commonly determined by their ability to find and copulate with multiple females, but is also determined by their ability to transfer an effective ejaculate. In order to succeed in these tasks, males must first succeed in replenishing the necessary reproductive reserves between mating opportunities. We here investigate the ability of male Queensland fruit flies ('Q-fly') to recover from their first matings in time to both mate again the following day and to induce sexual inhibition in successive mates. We have previously found that accessory gland fluids (AGFs) transferred in the ejaculate of male Q-flies are directly responsible for induction of sexual inhibition in their mates. We here investigate changes in male accessory gland, testis and ejaculatory apodeme dimensions that are likely to reflect depletion and recovery of contents. We found no differences between virgin and previously mated males in their ability to obtain matings or to induce sexual inhibition in their mates, indicating a full recovery of the necessary reproductive reserves between mating opportunities. Whereas no changes were detected in testis or ejaculatory apodeme size following mating, the recovery of male ability to inhibit female remating was closely reflected in the mesodermal accessory gland dimensions; these accessory glands greatly diminished in size (length and area) immediately after mating, with recovery commencing between 5.5 and 11 h after mating. The accessory glands then expanded to reach their original size in time to mate the following day and induce sexual inhibition in the next mate.

Radhakrishnan P ，Taylor PW 《JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY》

Male and female condition influence mating performance and sexual receptivity in two tropical fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) with contrasting life histories.

Recent recognition of widespread polyandry in insects has generated considerable interest in understanding why females mate multiple times and in identifying factors that affect mating rate and inhibit female remating. However, little attention has been paid to understanding the question from both a female and male perspective, particularly with respect to factors that may simultaneously influence female remating rates. Here, we report on a study aimed at ascertaining the possible interactive effects that male and female size and diet, and female access to a host could have on mating latency, probability, and duration and female refractory period using two tropical fruit fly species with contrasting life histories. Of all factors tested, adult diet played the most significant role. Both Anastrepha ludens and Anastrepha obliqua males which had constant access to protein and sucrose mated more often, had shorter copulations and induced longer refractory periods in females than males fed a low quality diet (sucrose offered every third day). Female size and the interaction with male diet determined how quickly female A. ludens mated for the first time. Smaller females mated sooner with low quality fed males than with high quality fed males while there was no difference for large females, suggesting that male choice may be at play if high quality fed males discriminate against smaller females. Copulation duration also depended on both male and female nutritional condition, and the interaction between male diet and female size and diet. Large and high quality fed females had shorter copulations regardless of male condition. Importantly, for A. ludens, female refractory period depended on male size and the nutritional condition of both males and females, which could indicate that for this species, female receptivity does not depend only on the condition of the male ejaculate. For A. obliqua refractory period was associated with the interaction between male size and diet and male diet and host presence. We discuss our results in terms of male ability to inhibit female remating and the relative contribution of female condition to this behavior. We also address the importance of studying effects simultaneously on species with contrasting life histories.

Aluja M ，Rull J ，Sivinski J ，Trujillo G ，Pérez-Staples D ... -  《-》

Female receptivity in Anastrepha ludens (Diptera: Tephritidae) is not modulated by male accessory gland products.

In numerous insects, accessory gland products (AGPs) transferred from males to females during mating are responsible for female sexual inhibition, but these products can be affected by male condition. Here, we investigated the effect of AGPs on female receptivity of the Mexican fruit fly Anastrepha ludens (Loew), and the effect of male and female strain, male irradiation, AGP dose and sexual activity period on the effectiveness of these AGPs in inhibiting female remating. Injections of aqueous extracts of male accessory glands into the abdomen of females did not reduce their receptivity either at 0.2 or 0.8 male equivalent. Females injected with AGPs behaved like virgin females and not as mated females. Neither male origin, female origin (wild versus mass-reared), nor male irradiation (sterile versus fertile males) had an effect in inhibiting female remating. Also, injections of glands obtained during the sexual calling period of males, or obtained during the morning when males are not sexually active had no effect on female remating behavior. Mated mass-reared females were more likely to remate than wild females. We conclude that inhibition of female sexual receptivity of A. ludens is mediated by factors other than AGPs, such as the number of sperm stored by females, the stimulus of copulation per se or more probably, mediated by a combination of factors. More research is needed to elucidate the role of AGPs in this species.

Abraham S ，Nuñez-Beverido N ，Contreras-Navarro Y ，Pérez-Staples D ... -  《-》