Are courtship behaviors associated with the mating plug traits in a monandrous scorpion species

OVIEDO DIEGO, MARIELA; MATTONI, CAMILO I.; PERETTI, ALFREDO V.

Nuevo Mexico

Congreso; Evolution Congress; 2023

Males evolved strategies to reduce sperm competition, like mating plugs that block female genitalia and hinder remating. In scorpions, the determinants of plug efficacy have not yet been studied. We analyzed whether the body condition or courtship behaviors could impact plug traits in Urophonius achalensis (Bothriuridae). This species has an inter-sexual plug formed by portions of spermatophore and hardening by female immune response triggering. We recorded matings to quantify courtship behaviors: male gland rubbing, female resistance, and sexual sting. We then photographed the plug every 3 days to analyze size increment and darkening with an image analysis software. We found that higher-condition males transferred larger plugs, and higher-condition females had hardened plugs. Longer female resistance during courtship was related to less hardened plugs, while longer male sexual sting to the female was linked to hardened plugs. Female resistance could signal partial rejection of certain males, which, related to less-hardened plugs , could facilitate female remating. Our findings offer new avenues to study cryptic female choice through the modulation of the immune response in an original study model contributing significantly to this area of sexual selection.