A study on perception of “quality” of competitors by male Drosophila melanogaster under different levels and quality of sperm competition.

Abstract

In promiscuous species, females are known to store sperms from different mating males. Multiple mating leads to sperm competition in males. Males adapt various strategies to compete for both reproductive and fertilization success. Drosophila, males are known to show plasticity in reproductive behaviour under different level of sperm competition. Studies suggest male reproductive response to number of competitor, but there is no such study which addresses sperm competition as the quality of the sperm. In the present study, I ask if males can perceive the quality and of competition and what reproductive response do male adapt to compete to this competition. I found a highly significant effect of treatment on the copulation duration of the target males under precopulatory competition. There was no effect on progeny sired by the target male, which were conditioned in early life.