Courtship Is a Major Factor of Mating-Shortened Male Lifespan in an Egg Parasitoid.

ABSTRACT: Mating is essential for population reproduction and survival, but individuals often incur costs of mating, including energy consumption and increased risks of death, predation, or disease transmission. Many studies on insects have reported a decreased post-mating lifespan, and studies on the effects of mating on longevity have focused mainly on females. However, the effect of mating on lifespan has also been observed in males, and this process is thought to be more complex and distinctive. Sperm production and sperm transfer during copulation are believed to be the main factors involved in the mating-induced reduction in male longevity due to significant energy investment, and this theory has been widely demonstrated in many insect species. Here, we found that mating has a negative effect

SUBMITTER: Wang ZY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12326143 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature