Save

Chemical caressess: geographical variation of male sexual signals in a Neotropical scorpion

In: Behaviour
Authors:
Paola A. Olivero aLaboratorio de Biología Reproductiva y Evolución, Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA, CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Avenida Vélez Sarsfield 299, X5000JJC, Córdoba, Argentina
bMuséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Institut de Systématique, Evolution et Biodiversité, ISYEB, UMR 7205 CNRS MNHN UPMC EPHE, CP 50 (Entomologie), 45 rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France

Search for other papers by Paola A. Olivero in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Andrés González cDepartamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Avenida Gral. Flores 2124, Montevideo, Uruguay

Search for other papers by Andrés González in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Camilo I. Mattoni aLaboratorio de Biología Reproductiva y Evolución, Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA, CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Avenida Vélez Sarsfield 299, X5000JJC, Córdoba, Argentina

Search for other papers by Camilo I. Mattoni in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
, and
Alfredo V. Peretti aLaboratorio de Biología Reproductiva y Evolución, Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA, CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Avenida Vélez Sarsfield 299, X5000JJC, Córdoba, Argentina

Search for other papers by Alfredo V. Peretti in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
Download Citation Get Permissions

Access options

Get access to the full article by using one of the access options below.

Institutional Login

Log in with Open Athens, Shibboleth, or your institutional credentials

Login via Institution

Purchase

Buy instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):

$34.95

Differences in sexual signals among species are common, and may influence mate recognition and reproductive isolation. In scorpions, behavioural mechanisms and other sexual signals involved in mate selection and reproductive isolation have been scarcely studied. In this paper, we compare different male sexual signals between two distant populations of the scorpion Bothriurus bonariensis, one located in Uruguay and the other in Central Argentina. We compare sexual behaviours from intra-populations and inter-populations matings. In addition, we extent this comparison to the secreted compounds and morphology of the exocrine glands located on the dorsal side of the telson in this species. Males of B. bonariensis performed stimulatory behaviours to the female with different frequency of occurrence and duration in the two populations. Chemical analyses of the glandular extracts showed that Uruguayan males present compounds which are absent in males of Argentinian population. In addition, we observed that in inter-population matings, stimulatory behaviours had intermediate patterns to intra-population matings. However, males failed to achieve a successful sperm transfer with females of different population. Mechanisms of sexual isolation between these two distant populations of B. bonariensis apparently seem to have evolved due to divergence in allopatry. The differences in stimulatory levels during courtship between the two populations studied here give evidence for an early behavioural divergence promoted by sexual selection.

Content Metrics

All Time Past Year Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 715 75 6
Full Text Views 259 7 0
PDF Views & Downloads 38 9 3