Males with short horns spent more time mating in the Japanese horned beetle Allomyrina dichotoma

Author: Karino K.   Niiyama H.  

Publisher: Springer Publishing Company

ISSN: 0873-9749

Source: Acta Ethologica, Vol.9, Iss.2, 2006-12, pp. : 95-98

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Abstract

We examined the relationships between male body and horn sizes and mating duration in the Japanese horned beetle, Allomyrina dichotoma</i>. Smaller males possessing shorter horns spent more time for copulation with a female and mounting the female without copulation. The results of multiple regression analyses indicate that the horn length is a determining factor for the time spent by the males during mating. A previous study has documented that the horn length of male A. dichotoma</i> primarily determined the outcomes of aggressive male-male interactions; hence, predicts access to females. Therefore, instead of fighting for females, males possessing short horns may maximize their fertilization success by mating longer with the few females they have access to.

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