10.5061/DRYAD.7V67C
Rapkin, James
University of Exeter
Jensen, Kim
North Carolina State University
Lane, Sarah M.
University of Exeter
House, Clarissa M.
University of Exeter
Sakaluk, Scott K.
University of Exeter
Hunt, John
University of Exeter
Data from: Macronutrient intake regulates sexual conflict in decorated crickets
Dryad
dataset
2015
Spermatophylax
free amino acids
carbohydrate
current
Holocene
protein
Gryllodes sigillatus
2015-11-11T20:18:02Z
2015-11-11T20:18:02Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1111/jeb.12794
66867 bytes
1
CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Sexual conflict results in a diversity of sex-specific adaptations,
including chemical additions to ejaculates. Male decorated crickets
(Gryllodes sigillatus) produce a gelatinous nuptial gift (the
spermatophylax) that varies in size and free amino acid composition, which
influences a female's willingness to fully consume this gift.
Complete consumption of this gift maximizes sperm transfer through
increased retention of the sperm-containing ampulla, but hinders
post-copulatory mate choice. Here, we examine the effects of protein (P)
and carbohydrate (C) intake on the weight and amino acid composition of
the spermatophylax that describes its gustatory appeal to the female, as
well as the ability of this gift to regulate sexual conflict via ampulla
attachment time. Nutrient intake had similar effects on the expression of
these traits with each maximized at a high intake of nutrients with a P :
C ratio of 1 : 1.3. Under dietary choice, males actively regulated their
nutrient intake but this regulation did not coincide with the peak of the
nutritional landscape for any trait. Our results therefore demonstrate
that a balanced intake of nutrients is central to regulating sexual
conflict in G. sigillatus, but males are constrained from reaching the
optima needed to bias the outcome of this conflict in their favour.
Rapkin et al_JEB-2015-00624Standardized data from the no-choice experiment
and raw data from the choice experiment
United Kingodm