J 2023

Age-related mating rates among ecologically distinct lineages of bedbugs, Cimex lectularius

BARTONIČKA, Tomáš, Jana KŘEMENOVÁ, Ondřej BALVÍN, Zdeněk ŠIMEK, Oliver OTTI et. al.

Basic information

Original name

Age-related mating rates among ecologically distinct lineages of bedbugs, Cimex lectularius

Authors

BARTONIČKA, Tomáš (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution), Jana KŘEMENOVÁ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Ondřej BALVÍN, Zdeněk ŠIMEK (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution) and Oliver OTTI

Edition

Frontiers in Zoology, BMC, 2023, 1742-9994

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

10613 Zoology

Country of publisher

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

Impact factor

Impact factor: 2.800 in 2022

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14310/23:00131556

Organization unit

Faculty of Science

UT WoS

001037467600001

Keywords in English

Bedbugs; Mating scars; Reproduction; Sexual conflict; Age; Pteridines

Tags

Tags

International impact, Reviewed
Změněno: 27/2/2024 08:41, doc. Mgr. Tomáš Bartonička, Ph.D.

Abstract

V originále

Understanding how many mates an animal has in its lifetime is a critical factor in sexual selection. At the same time, differences in an organism's ecology, such as the quantity and quality of food, could be reflected in different mating rates. Mating rate had a significant effect on female net fitness (i.e., lifetime offspring production), however, laboratory measurements cannot well mirror the situation in wild. The common bedbug (Cimex lectularius) is a well-established model for studying traumatic insemination and sexual conflict. The species comprises two host lineages that feed on bats (BL) or humans (HL). HL can constantly feed on human hosts throughout the year, while BLs feed only during summer months when their bat hosts occupy the roosts. Because mating in female bedbugs is closely linked to foraging, this system provides a valuable model to study mating variation in the field. We established a new method for estimating age-dependent mating rates of females in the wild by relating the fluorescent pigment accumulation in the eyes of females to the number of mating scars that manifest as melanized spots caused by the injection of sperm through the wall of the female abdomen by the male into the spermalege. In addition, using laboratory bedbugs we found that three and a half observed matings on average lead to one observed melanized mating scar. Although young BL and HL females (with low pteridine concentrations) did not differ in the number of matings, the mating rate increased with age only in HL but not in BL females. We sampled on average older BL than HL females. The lack of access to food (bat blood) during winter could explain the lack of increase in the number of scars with age in BL. In species where mating leaves visible marks, using fluorescent pigments to determine female age (applicable to most arthropods) could be an important tool to study sexual selection and mating rate in the wild. The method can help formulate sustainable and biologically lucid approaches for their control.

Links

GC18-08468J, research and development project
Name: Role adaptace a fenotypové plasticity spermií v ekologické speciaci
Investor: Czech Science Foundation
MUNI/A/1098/2019, interní kód MU
Name: Výzkum Ekologických a Evolučních Principů na modelu obratlovců a jejich parazitů
Investor: Masaryk University, Category A
MUNI/A/1436/2018, interní kód MU
Name: EKologické a EVOluční Principy v populacích obratlovců a jejich parazitů (Acronym: EKEVOP)
Investor: Masaryk University, Category A