Variation in male and female mating behaviour among different populations of the two-spot ladybird, Adalia bipunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

• Main Authors: Penelope R. HADDRILL, Michael E.N. MAJERUS, David M. SHUKER
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Science 2013-01-01
• Series: European Journal of Entomology
• Subjects: coccinellidae; adalia; mating behaviour; sexual selection; two-spot ladybird; uk population; russian population
• Online Access: https://www.eje.cz/artkey/eje-201301-0011_Variation_in_male_and_female_mating_behaviour_among_different_populations_of_the_two-spot_ladybird_Adalia_bipu.php

Investigating the function of both male and female mating behaviours is essential in our attempts to understand the evolution of mating systems. Variation in mating behaviours among different populations within a species provides a useful opportunity to explore how behaviours may co-vary, although comparative studies are still rather few in number. Population variation in mating behaviour may also have important implications in terms of the evolution of reproductive isolation, the distribution of genetic diversity within and between populations, and the associated ability of those populations to adapt. Here we consider male and female mating behaviour in two populations of the two-spot ladybird, Adalia bipunctata, from the UK and Russia. We find that male and female mating behaviours differ between the populations in terms of the length of female rejection behaviour and the duration of mating, and that this variation is independent of which population an individual's mating partner is from. Our data confirm that patterns of sexual selection and reproductive behaviour are likely to vary across populations in the two-spot ladybird. The extent to which this variation is due to current ecological factors or population history remains to be verified for this species, as for many others.