The effect of postcopulatory male behaviour on ejaculate distribution within the female sperm storage organs of the fly,Dryomyza anilis(Diptera : Dryomyzidae)
✍ Scribed by M. Otronen; M. T. Siva-Jothy
- Publisher
- Springer
- Year
- 1991
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 1007 KB
- Volume
- 29
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0340-5443
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✦ Synopsis
After sperm transfer, male Dryomyza anilis increase their fertilization success by tapping the female external genitalia with their claspers. In order to clarify the mechanism, we examined the effect of tapping movements on the distribution and fate of the male ejaculate within the female's sperm storage organs. The structure of the female internal genitalia is described and the volume of sperm found within the female is estimated. Experiments show that males place their sperm near the exit of the female's bursa copulatrix: most of the last male's sperm are expelled before oviposition and only 10-30% remain in the female. The results suggest that the mechanism by which male D. anilis gain last male sperm precedence is complex, and two possibilities are suggested.