The Harmonic Convergence of Fathers Predicts the Mating Success of Sons in Aedes aegypti.

ABSTRACT: During courtship males often communicate information about their fitness to females. The matching of harmonic components of flight tone in male-female pairs of flying mosquitoes, or harmonic convergence, was recently described. This behaviour occurs prior to mating and has been suggested to function in mate selection. We investigated the hypothesis that harmonic convergence is a component of mosquito courtship. A key prediction of this hypothesis is that harmonic convergence should provide information to potential mates about fitness benefits. We measured the effect of harmonic convergence behaviour on the direct and indirect benefits obtained by females. We found that the sons of pairs that converged at harmonic frequencies prior to mating had increased mating success and that these offsp

SUBMITTER: Cator LJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3190198 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature