Prefering the new one:Recognition of previous mates in a spider

CALBACHO-ROSA, LUCIA; CARGNELUTTI, FRANCO; HEBETS, EILEEN; PERETTI, ALFREDO V

Montevideo

Congreso; 22 international congress of Arachnology; 2023

International Society of Arachnology

Individuals can benefit by mating with different mates, females through genetic benefits for their offspring, and males by increasing the number of offspring. Thus, the ability to identify new partners should increase their fitness. Here we aimed to determine if individuals of Holocnemus pluchei (Pholcidae), a promiscuous species with post-copulatory mate guarding, can recognize their previous mates. We expect a lower frequency of re-copulation and behavioral variations in re-copulations with the same mates. We compared the frequency of remating and sexual behavior of individuals with the same and different mates. Considering that mate recognition may occur during copulation or the post-copulatory guarding period, we analyzed the following groups: 1) the pair copulates, and the male is removed; no post-copulatory guarding is allowed. This male is placed again next to the same female after 24 hours. 2) the pair copulates, and the male performs post-copulatory guarding and is removed; then, this male is placed next to the same female after 24 hours. 3) the pair copulates; the male performs post-copulatory guarding and is removed; another male is placed next to that female after 24 hours. When males do not perform post-copulatory guarding, the re-copulation with the same female lasts a few minutes; the female does not accept to continue. When the males perform post-copulatory guarding, they do not try to re-copulate with the same female. When the female copulates with two different males, re-copulations occur in all cases. Our results indicate recognition of the previous mate by both sexes.