TY - JOUR

T1 - Copulation Song in Drosophila

T2 - Do Females Sing to Change Male Ejaculate Allocation and Incite Postcopulatory Mate Choice?

AU - Kerwin, Peter

AU - von Philipsborn, Anne C.

PY - 2020/11

Y1 - 2020/11

N2 - Drosophila males sing a courtship song to achieve copulations with females. Females were recently found to sing a distinct song during copulation, which depends on male seminal fluid transfer and delays female remating. Here, it is hypothesized that female copulation song is a signal directed at the copulating male and changes ejaculate allocation. This may alter female remating and sperm usage, and thereby affect postcopulatory mate choice. Mechanisms of how female copulation song is elicited, how males respond to copulation song, and how remating is modulated, are considered. The potential adaptive value of female signaling during copulation is discussed with reference to vertebrate copulation calls and their proposed function in eliciting mate guarding. Female copulation song may be widespread within the Drosophila genus. This newly discovered behavior opens many interesting avenues for future research, including investigation of how sexually dimorphic neuronal circuits mediate communication between nervous system and reproductive organs.

AB - Drosophila males sing a courtship song to achieve copulations with females. Females were recently found to sing a distinct song during copulation, which depends on male seminal fluid transfer and delays female remating. Here, it is hypothesized that female copulation song is a signal directed at the copulating male and changes ejaculate allocation. This may alter female remating and sperm usage, and thereby affect postcopulatory mate choice. Mechanisms of how female copulation song is elicited, how males respond to copulation song, and how remating is modulated, are considered. The potential adaptive value of female signaling during copulation is discussed with reference to vertebrate copulation calls and their proposed function in eliciting mate guarding. Female copulation song may be widespread within the Drosophila genus. This newly discovered behavior opens many interesting avenues for future research, including investigation of how sexually dimorphic neuronal circuits mediate communication between nervous system and reproductive organs.

KW - acoustic communication

KW - Drosophila

KW - mate choice

KW - reproductive behavior

KW - seminal fluid

KW - sperm competition

KW - strategic ejaculate allocation

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85090992562&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1002/bies.202000109

DO - 10.1002/bies.202000109

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 32964470

AN - SCOPUS:85090992562

VL - 42

JO - BioEssays

JF - BioEssays

SN - 0265-9247

IS - 11

M1 - 2000109

ER -