The Dynamics of the Lek System and Mating Success in Males of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann)

Abstract

Experiments were conducted to investigate the dynamics of the lek mating system in the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann). The results indicate that only a portion of the total male population participates in the lek system and that among these lekking males there is differential mating success. Lekking males exhibit preference for certain territories within the lek by battling among themselves for territorial control. Females, on the other hand, appear to utilize two "lek-entering" strategies: 1) females may cue into preferred territories within the lek using a male's occupancy of such a site as an indication of his genetic fitness and 2) females may enter the lek by randomly alighting on territories and sampling the courtships of several males before selecting a mate.