Rate of ejaculate breakdown and intermating intervals in monarch butterflies

Karen S. Oberhauser

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

48 Scopus citations

Abstract

Both mass and nitrogen content of ejaculates transferred by male monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) varied with male history. Older virgins and males that had waited longer after a previous mating transferred larger ejaculates with more nitrogen. After mating, ejaculates were broken down within the female bursa copulatrix; mass and nitrogen content decreased at constant rates until little material remained. Because the time required for breakdown of large spermatophores is longer than the intermating interval, a significant portion of a male's investment could be used to benefit offspring from other males.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)367-373
Number of pages7
JournalBehavioral Ecology and Sociobiology
Volume31
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 1992

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