Variation in selection, phenotypic plasticity, and the ecology of sexual size dimorphism in two seed-feeding beetles

Charles W. Fox, R. Craig Stillwell, Jordi Moya-Laraño

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

19 Scopus citations

Abstract

This chapter reviews recent studies on two seed beetle species with contrasting sexual size dimorphism (SSD): males are larger in Stator limbatus and females are larger in Callosobruchus maculatus. Male ejaculate size clearly affects male fitness in S. limbatus via both fecundity and sexual selection, but not in C. maculatus. Female S. limbatus lay more eggs when mating with large males, reflecting either direct nutritional benefits obtained from male ejaculates or increased female allocation of resources following mating with large males. This difference in patterns of sex-specific selection between the species contributes to explaining the difference in SSD between the two species. However, variation in SSD, both within and among species of seed beetles, is also caused by differential phenotypic plasticity of the sexes. The implications of this for overall patterns such as Rensch's rule are discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationSex, Size and Gender Roles
Subtitle of host publicationEvolutionary Studies of Sexual Size Dimorphism
ISBN (Electronic)9780191709036
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 1 2007

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© Oxford University Press 2007. All rights reserved.

Keywords

  • Ejaculate size
  • Fecundity selection
  • Fitness
  • Rensch's rule
  • Sexual selection
  • Stator

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Agricultural and Biological Sciences

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