Life Sciences Commons^™

Variation In Female Mating Behavior And Success In The Damselfly, Calopteryx Maculata, Suzanne E. Allison

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Traditionally, the study of sexual selection has focused on the evolution of elaborate male traits and how they enhance the ability to out-compete other males directly (access to females) and indirectly (access to desirable territories or resources). Female trait studies have focused most on evolved preferences for male traits. While we know much about how sexual selection acts on males, there is a deficit of equivalent study on females. In insects, including damselflies, male size and pigmentation are positively correlated with fat reserves and immune abilities, and therefore with male competitive ability. Here, we show that phenotypic variation that has …