Lek is a territorial mating strategy which is widely spread amongst males in the fallow deer, Dama dama high density population. A group of fallow deer in Březka park, Czech Republic, was studied where males exhibit a mixed mating system with territorial (single temporary stands, leks) and non-territorial strategies during the rut. Reproductive success was estimated indirectly by counting females/minute held per male both on the lek and single temporary stands. A total of 636 records were analysed (281 on leks and 355 on temporary stands). In contrast to other reports, males on leks were accompanied with significantly less females (LSMEANs ± S.E., 3.80 ± 1.10 does present per minute of observation) compared to those on single temporary stands (6.74 ± 1.10 does present per minute of observation). The results suggest that under specific conditions (over-abundance of adult males compared to females) attracting females on the lek need not be the most effective one.
Reproductive success of food-deceptive orchids may be affected by interactions with co-flowering rewarding species, either negatively through competition for pollinators, or positively by means of a magnet species effect and floral mimicry. In this study, potential interactions between a dimorphic (yellow or purple flowers) non-rewarding orchid Dactylorhiza sambucina and a dimorphic (yellow and blue flowers) rewarding, co-flowering species, Viola aethnensis, were explored in a natural stand in southern Italy. To evaluate the interactions between these two species, plots of all possible arrays of presence/absence of the four colour morphs were arranged in the field and fruit production of the orchid morphs assessed. Natural aggregations of both colour morphs of the orchid had the highest reproductive fitness for each colour morph. Patterns in fitness variation detected in treated plots provided direct and indirect evidence that D. sambucina may benefit from the co-occurrence of V. aethnensis through floral mimicry and/or magnet species effect. Since the fitness of each orchid morph was strongly increased by the presence of a viola morph of similar colour, a double mimetic effect occurs between the two species, which to our knowledge has not been previously reported. Moreover, the co-occurrence of an orchid morph with a non-matching viola resulted in competition for pollinators, whereas in the absence of the rewarding plant the fitness was balanced due to positive interactions between the two orchid colour morphs. These findings suggest that D. sambucina, like many other European deceptive orchids, possesses a set of display traits suitable for exploiting potential facilitative interactions with a number of rewarding species. In addition, the unequal morph frequencies occurring in natural populations could result from unbalanced events in floral mimicry.
Recently, there has been rapidly growing interest in the effects of the microbiota on host physiology and behaviour. Due to the nutritional value of bacteria, gut microflora may be particularly important in species that present nuptial gifts during courtship. Here, we explore whether the presence or absence of gut microbiota in males and females of the nuptial gift-giving species Drosophila subobscura (Collin, 1936) alters mating behaviour in terms of female preference, male investment, and female fecundity. We found that females that had been fed antibiotics, compared to females with intact gut bacteria, were more willing to mate with a male that had been fed normally. However female fecundity was higher when both males and females lacked gut bacteria compared to both individuals having a full complement of gut bacteria. This implies that the presence of the microbiota acts to reduce female fecundity in this species, and that male gut bacterial content influences female fecundity. Our results provide further evidence to the growing consensus that the microbiota of an individual may have important effects on both reproductive behaviour and physiology, and suggest that it may also contribute to the nutritional value of the nuptial gift in this system., Benjamin S. Walsh, Chloe Heys, Zenobia Lewis., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Several comparative studies have previously identified breeding density and synchrony as potential determinants of reproductive success and extra-pair mating. However, the mechanisms and interaction of these two factors are poorly known. Here, we examined the effects of breeding density and synchrony on the behaviour, reproductive success and paternity losses in house sparrows. In order to test the effects of colony size, we created nest sites with varying numbers of nest-boxes. Our results show that there is an interaction between breeding synchrony and density, namely that breeding synchrony decreased with colony size. Neither colony size nor breeding synchrony seemed to influence brood size at fledging, although birds in larger colonies laid larger clutches. Moreover mate guarding behaviour was not influenced substantially by these two factors. Only nest guarding was significantly related to colony size and breeding synchrony. Paternity losses were not significantly related to colony size but they appeared to decrease with increasing synchrony. This finding supports the idea that extra-pair fertilisations are under male rather than female control.
Mate choice, reproductive success and fecundity of typical and melanic morphs of C. septempunctata were studied. Melanic as well as typical individuals preferred to mate with melanic males and females. Mate choice was mainly determined by females and to a lesser degree by males. Mating duration, oviposition period, and lifetime fecundity were highest (51.20 ± 2.82 min, 47.00 ± 2.79 days and 705.40 ± 69.85 eggs) when a melanic female mated with a melanic male and lowest (38.94 ± 1.68 min, 26.10 ± 2.54 days, 395.9 ± 36.25 eggs) when a typical female mated with a typical male. Longevity of both sexes of melanics was higher than of typicals. The fecundity function of both morphs was triangular but the daily oviposition was irregular. In melanic and typical females the peak oviposition (66.40 eggs/day and 48.30 eggs/day) occurred on the 23rd and 14th day of the oviposition period, respectively. Oviposition peaked earlier in typical females, but peak oviposition was higher and the oviposition period longer in melanic females. The higher reproductive success of melanics may favour this morph over typicals.
In birds of prey, food availability affects the entire breeding process, including reproductive success. Sequential polyandry, sometimes documented in raptors and owls, has been observed occasionally in Tengmalm’s owl in years of high food availability. In this study, the effect of food supply on the reproductive strategy of the central european Tengmalm’s owl population has been investigated. The availability of the main prey of owls was significantly below average in the study year 2014. This resulted in low breeding density of owls, delayed egg laying, small clutch sizes, and low reproductive success. Nevertheless, successful sequential polyandry of one Tengmalm’s owl female was recorded during the breeding season. The polyandrous female laid four eggs in each nests, and 50 % and 75 % of four hatched nestlings left the nest during the first and second breeding, respectively. In both nesting attempts, the two-year old female was of a substandard body mass and she abandoned the fledglings before they left the nests. Prey delivered by males to both nests was comprised mainly of alternative prey (birds and shrews). The results of this study suggest that there are probably some other factors, in addition to food availability, that may play a role in Tengmalm’s owl’s decisions in matters of parental care.