Dynamics of Sperm Use in the Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae): Reproductive Fitness of Multiple-Mated Females and Sequentially Mated Males

Abstract

Second-male sperm precedence in the Mediterranean fruit fly from a single series of matings is maintained at a uniform rate over the effective female reproductive life span. Male reproductive fitness can drop significantly if a second male also mates with the same female; the magnitude of the drop is a function of the male genotypes. Females mated twice have as many or slightly more offspring over their effective reproductive period as do females mated once. However, twice-mated females have a significantly higher number of progeny during the fourth week after mating. Prolonged progeny production by twice-mated females suggests a possible hypothesis for the continued presence of two mating strategies in the field.