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Using a high-speed surveillance PTZ camera mounted to a wind turbine in the offshore waters of Belgium, we observed frequent use of the wind farm area by Sandwich Terns Thalasseus sandvicensis and Common/Arctic Terns Sterna hirundo/paradisaea during the spring migration seasons of 2021 and 2022. The terns used a buoy in the wind farm for resting and as a foraging fallback point but were also seen perching on the railing and the platform of the wind turbine itself. In the latter case, terns were foraging close to the base of the turbine. On a few occasions captured sandeel (Ammodytidae) were transported to awaiting females at the turbine. While the potential implications of these behaviours on collision risk remain uncertain, the observed activities underscore the need for comprehensive investigations into the three-dimensional behaviours of terns and other seabirds within offshore wind farm environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aboveground oligolectic bee, Heriades truncorum, is a particularly good model for studying the impact of pesticides on sexual communication, since some aspects of its mating behavior have previously been described. We have tested (1) the interference of the pesticide flupyradifurone on male precopulatory behavior and male mating partner preferences, (2) the way that the pesticide interferes in male quality assessment by the female, and (3) the effects of the pesticide on the chemical compounds in the female cuticle. We exposed bees of both sexes to a sublethal concentration of flupyradifurone. Various behaviors were registered in a mating arena with two females (one unexposed and one exposed) and one male (either unexposed or exposed). Unexposed males were quicker to attempt to mate. Treatment also impacted precopulatory behavior and male quality assessment by females. Males approached unexposed females more quickly than insecticide‐exposed ones. Females exposed to insecticide produced lower amounts of some cuticular hydrocarbons (sex pheromone candidates) and appeared less choosy than unexposed females. Our findings suggest that insecticide exposure affects sexual communication, playing a role both in male preference and in male quality assessment by the female. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal-built structures that function in mate attraction can be constrained in signal expression by the availability of building materials in the environment and the male's ability to find them as well as the ability to construct the structure itself. As part of their courtship display, male great bowerbirds, Ptilonorhynchus nuchalis , use hundreds of grey-white objects to create a bower court. Males arrange these objects to create a positive size–distance gradient, the evenness of which generates a forced perspective visual illusion that is associated with mating success. However, a range of differently sized objects are required to build a high-quality gradient, and it is unclear how local object availability and male ability to place objects in the correct location (i.e. building ability) affect gradient quality. To disentangle these effects, we provided males with a standardized set of court objects after removing their original objects. If gradient quality is associated with male building ability, we predicted that the quality of the gradient constructed with the standardized set of objects would be positively correlated with the male's original gradient quality. Contrary to our predictions, males that built high-quality gradients in their original court did not build high-quality gradients when given a standardized set of objects. We conclude that the bower court may not be a reliable signal of male building ability, and that object availability and/or male ability to locate appropriate objects explains some of the observed variation in gradient quality. • Male great bowerbirds readily rebuild bower courts with supplied objects. • Natural difference in court quality is not maintained with standardized objects. • Local object availability not male building ability likely affects court quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association of fireflies to local plants was observed at twenty-eight randomly selected sites throughout eight different ecoregions in two eastern Indian states of Odisha and West Bengal, between March 2017 to February 2022. Seven firefly species, belonging to four genera, utilized fifty-six different plant species under twenty-five families. Maximum plant species preferred by them belonged to Fabaceae (11). Display plant based net sweeping counts from different plants varied significantly (at p ≤ 0.05, t = 7.6); the same was noticed for the visual field count (at p ≤ 0.05, t = 9.61). Counts from different height ranges varied significantly (at p ≤ 0.05, t = 4.1). The number of families (t = 5.22, p = 0.002) and species (t= 3.97, p = 0.007) of associated plants visited by different firefly species also varied significantly. A combined sampling methodology involving both display plant-based net sweeping counts and visual field count had resulted in a significant difference (t = 3.21, p = 0.01, df= 8) between the male and female abundance on display plants. The upper leaf-surface was maximally utilized (54%) by the adult males for perching, while the undersurface (26%) was well utilized for their luminescent courtship displays. Information regarding associated and display plants will facilitate their conservation at the native habitat.

Animals adapt to their environments in the course of evolution. One effective approach to elucidate mechanisms of adaptive evolution is to compare closely related species with model organisms in which knowledge of the molecular and physiological bases of various traits has been accumulated. Drosophila elegans and its close relatives, belonging to the same species group as the model organism D. melanogaster, exhibit various unique characteristics such as flower-breeding habit, courtship display, territoriality, sexual dimorphism, and colour polymorphism. Their ease of culturing and availability of genomic information makes them a useful model for understanding mechanisms of adaptive evolution. Here, we review the morphology, distribution, and phylogenetic relationships of D. elegans and related species, as well as their characteristic flower-dependent biology, food habits, and life-history traits. We also describe their unique mating and territorial behaviours and note their distinctive karyotype and the genetic mechanisms of morphological diversity that have recently been revealed.

A major goal of evolutionary biology is to understand how sexual traits arise and diversify among populations. One way to address this objective is by studying sexual traits in closely related species and their hybrids. Here, we used this approach to study the evolution of elaborate behavioural display characteristics used during courtship. We focus on bearded manakins (genus: Manacus), where males of this avian clade perform an acrobatic jump-snap display to court females. Hybridization is common among Manacus taxa, and thus, we studied courtship dance behaviour in a hybrid population between golden-collared manakins, Manacus vitellinus , and white-collared manakins, Manacus candei. We found that, despite being genetically more similar to white-collared manakins, hybrid males performed key dance manoeuvres like golden-collared manakins. Hybrids performed other dance manoeuvres intermediate to the two species, or more like their white-collared parents. Select components of the birds' dance routines may have therefore introgressed from the golden-collared population into the white-collared populations. We hypothesize that such modular evolution occurs in response to sexual selection, whereby specific components of the bird's dance routine shift to yield a broader change in its functional appearance. • We studied courtship display in a hybrid population of manakin birds. • Hybrids performed many display traits intermediately to their parental lineages. • Some hybrid traits, however, resembled their high-performing parental line. • Asymmetrical introgression may account for display evolution in hybrids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Males of many animal species perform specialized courtship behaviours to gain copulations with females. Identifying physiological and anatomical specializations underlying performance of these behaviours helps clarify mechanisms through which sexual selection promotes the evolution of elaborate courtship. Our knowledge about neuromuscular specializations that support elaborate displays is limited to a few model species. In this review, we focus on the physiological control of the courtship of a tropical bird, the golden-collared manakin, which has been the focus of our research for nearly 20 years. Male manakins perform physically elaborate courtship displays that are quick, accurate and powerful. Females seem to choose males based on their motor skills suggesting that neuromuscular specializations possessed by these males are driven by female choice. Male courtship is activated by androgens and androgen receptors are expressed in qualitatively and quantitatively unconventional ways in manakin brain, spinal cord and skeletal muscles. We propose that in some species, females select males based on their neuromuscular capabilities and acquired skills and that elaborate steroid-dependent courtship displays evolve to signal these traits.

Water turbidity deteriorates visibility and thereby may change the physiology and behavior of aquatic animals that rely on vision. In the guppy fish (Poecilia reticulata), a key element in the mating behavior and reproductive success of males is female mate choice, which is predominantly based on visual signals. Females choose attractive males based on body coloration, and males court females by displaying their coloration. Here, we demonstrate that guppy males exhibit morphological and behavioral adjustments in response to changes in the visual environment. Males reared in turbid water had more conspicuous coloration than males reared in clear water, with higher intensity of carotenoid-based and ultraviolet colors, but not a larger area of red spots on the body. However, they performed less courtship displays in turbid water than males reared in clear water performed in clear water. Thus, increased coloration in turbid-water males was not accompanied by increased effort to display it. Although our findings demonstrated developmental plasticity in mating-related traits, turbidity-induced alteration in coloration did not match behavior change as could be predicted by favoring male attractiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some nonhuman primates use tools to modify the behavior of other animals in social contexts. For example, during their proceptive periods, female bearded capuchins (Sapajus libidinosus) in two wild groups throw stones and push branches toward males, which may function to draw male attention to the females. To further clarify the social and communicative relevance of this behavior, we recorded all occurrences of object use in a captive group (one adult male and four females) at Brasília Zoo, during 963 h of observation. Additionally, we recorded the occurrence of typical proceptive behaviors and quantified behavioral changes of the male associated with throwing behavior. All females threw objects, such as stones and sticks, at the male (N = 205 events). One of the females also pounded objects near the male (N = 72). The two forms of object use were associated with female proceptivity. Male-directed throws increased the chances of the male changing his behavior, particularly by shifting his attention to the thrower, supporting the hypothesis that throwing at the male function as a communicative act. However, females also used aimed throwing in affiliative contexts (N = 2) and interactions with humans (N = 102) and other animals (N = 61). Thus, our results show that aimed throwing is a flexible behavior, elicited in multiple social contexts and for different purposes. Moreover, our study demonstrates that considering the effects of object use on the behavior of potential targets can help us to understand how primates use objects to mediate communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Condition-dependent secondary sexual traits and signals are often crucial for mate choice decisions. Nuptial gifts, provided by the male to the female during mating, may represent an indicator of male condition, especially if production of the gift is energetically costly. Additionally, other signalling modalities may well play a role in mate choice in such systems. Females of the nursery web spider Pisaura mirabilis preferably mate with males that provide a prey item wrapped in silk. Apart from the nuptial gift, vibrational signals employed during courtship and mating may reveal additional information about male condition. We tested condition-dependence of male vibrational signals of well-fed versus starved males, when in contact with female dragline silk and during mating trials. Our results show that vibrational signals are produced in P. mirabilis, both during pre-copulatory courtship and during copulation. Male courtship signals were condition-dependent: males in good condition initiated signalling earlier and emitted more vibrational pulses than poor-condition males. They were also more likely to be accepted by the female for copulation. We additionally identified vibrational signals during copulation. These signals were different from pre-copulatory courtship vibrations but did not differ between the treatment groups. This study shows that vibrational communication plays an important role before and during copulation in P. mirabilis. It sets the stage for further experiments on spider biotremology associated with nuptial gift giving behaviour. Significance statement: Male courtship behaviour can indicate a male's condition and quality and be subject to female mate choice. Vibrational communication during mating plays a crucial role in many animal species. Spiders are known to be extremely sensitive towards vibrations, and there is evidence that vibratory signals are also used during courtship. Here, we study the nuptial gift-giving spider Pisaura mirabilis in which courtship entails providing a nuptial gift by the male to the female. The gift quality determines on the probability and duration of mating. We investigated the role of vibrational behaviour in this species by standardizing nuptial gifts. Our study demonstrates that vibratory signals comprise information about the male's condition, that signals are also produced during mating and that courtship and copulatory signals are strikingly different. We suggest that vibrational communication provides important condition-dependent traits for female mate choice in addition to the nuptial gift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual signals are often elaborate, even spectacular, behaviours. The reproductive rewards for successful display are great, but so are the potential costs. These costs include not only the resources needed to produce a display, but also resources required if the display evokes attack from a rival or predator. To maximize payoff, individuals must monitor both internal and external cues to adjust display effort. We know surprisingly little about how these competing demands are balanced. Leptin, a hormone secreted by adipose tissue, regulates energy allocation to functions as diverse as feeding, sleep, reproduction and immunity. Despite evidence that leptin influences reproductive trade-offs, its role as a putative regulator of courtship display is poorly understood. Here we examine the use of interoceptive and exteroceptive cues to modulate display effort in Alston's singing mouse, Scotinomys teguina. We manipulated individual perception of energy balance through intraperitoneal injection of exogenous leptin, and we manipulated social context through playback of conspecific song. Leptin-injected mice responded with song to playback more frequently and more quickly than saline-injected controls. Although leptin seems to promote increased song effort, we found that leptin also reduced song duration. Song effort increased after leptin injection and playback of conspecific songs. Understanding the mechanisms by which animals respond to internal and external cues broadens our understanding of context-dependent display as well as behavioural plasticity more generally. • We examine how energy balance/social context affect display effort in singing mice. • We injected mice with leptin or saline before or after exposure to conspecific song. • Song effort increased after leptin injection and playback of conspecific song. • Leptin injection changed song effort in ways consistent with residual body mass. • While leptin seems to promote increased song effort, it also reduced song duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective and methods: The effects of Bisphenol A (BPA) on selected behaviors of Drosophila melanogaster, namely larval feeding rate, larval foraging ability, adult climbing ability and courtship display, were tested by rearing the flies for 30 successive generations by exposing the third instar larvae to two different sublethal doses (0.007 g/2 ml and 0.010 g/2 ml). Results: Our results revealed a significant reduction in feeding rate, foraging path length and frequency of courtship display. Both the treated male and female adults exhibited higher climbing ability at lower concentration (0.007 g/2 ml) of BPA exposure at 20 s and 30 s of interval, whereas reduced climbing ability was recorded at 10 s of interval in comparison with controls. At higher concentration (0.010 g/2 ml), only the treated females, not males exhibited significant reduced climbing ability at 30 s of interval. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Females of the sevenspine goby Gymnogobius heptacanthus are more colorful and active in courtship display than males. Females tend to exhibit agonistic behavior in female-female competition reaching its highest level in their completed readiness to spawn. In addition, females are sex-role reversed, performing courtship displays. Fish behavioral patterns are rather simple. Thus, the level of male aggression is very low. They do not initiate any courtship display. The spawning ground is not a strictly-guarded site of importance. A small number of male spawners can be a key factor for the sex-role reversal occurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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John Endler's sensory drive hypothesis posits that physical properties of the environment may shape signalling traits by determining how effective they are in communicating. Evidence abounds of signalling environment driving selection on colours and vocalizations, yet little is known about its influence on visual signals produced via body movements (i.e., gestural displays).Here, we aimed to perform the most taxonomically comprehensive assessment of sensory drive by testing the hypothesis that habitat structure drives the evolution of aerial sexual displays in passerine birds (order Passeriformes). We base this hypothesis on physical properties of habitats that should allow aerial displays to transmit more broadly in open habitats.To test the hypothesis, we performed Bayesian phylogenetic comparative analyses using species‐level phylogenetic trees and a dataset of 469 species from across the Americas.We found that evolutionary gain of aerial displays is on average six times more frequent in open‐habitat passerines than in forest ones.The influence of habitat structure on the evolution of aerial sexual displays attests to the importance of sensory drive as a deterministic evolutionary force within sexual selection, as opposed to models that assume a purely arbitrary direction of sexual trait evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One new species from Belize and six described species from Panama of bioluminescent ostracods (Myodocopida: Cypridinidae) are compared and placed in the new genus, Maristella gen. nov.. Maristella belongs to a diverse Caribbean clade of bioluminescent ostracods in which males perform species-specific luminescent courtship displays. Other genera of the clade include Enewton , Photeros , Konickeria and, nominally, Vargula. Maristella is likely the most species-rich genus in the clade. Maristella chicoi sp. nov. , from Belize, is described as the type species. Species from Panama reassigned to Maristella are Vargula ignitula , V. lucidella , V. micamacula , V. noropsela , V. psammobia , V. scintilla. New information is presented on the sixth and eighth limbs of the species from Panama, providing additional characters for distinguishing taxa. Maristella is the only genus that contains species with lateral or diagonal luminescent courtship displays. Maristella chicoi has male displays oriented horizontal to the substrate and showing high levels of entrainment. The displays run in near-parallel bifurcations resulting in spectacular fan-like radiations of light pulse trains. The description of Maristella advances the taxonomy of the highly diverse Caribbean clade that has become a model system for studying the evolution of bioluminescence and the role of luminescent displays in speciation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physiology’s role in speciation is poorly understood. Motor systems, for example, are widely thought to shape this process because they can potentiate or constrain the evolution of key traits that help mediate speciation. Previously, we found that Neotropical manakin birds have evolved one of the fastest limb muscles on record to support innovations in acrobatic courtship display (Fuxjager et al., 2016a). Here, we show how this modification played an instrumental role in the sympatric speciation of a manakin genus, illustrating that muscle specializations fostered divergence in courtship display speed, which may generate assortative mating. However, innovations in contraction-relaxation cycling kinetics that underlie rapid muscle performance are also punctuated by a severe speed-endurance trade-off, blocking further exaggeration of display speed. Sexual selection therefore potentiated phenotypic displacement in a trait critical to mate choice, all during an extraordinarily fast species radiation—and in doing so, pushed muscle performance to a new boundary altogether.

Hybridization is relatively common in galliforms. In many cases, these hybrids are thought to arise through failures in species recognition, but there are no documented observations of this occurring in the wild. On 1 May 2013, I observed a male Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus) engage in a courtship display directed toward a female Spruce Grouse (Falcipennis canadensis). This is the first documented case of mistaken species recognition by a Ruffed Grouse and reveals 2 novel aspects of their behavior: the sound of wing flapping might be used to localize conspecifics, and males can be prone to directing courtship toward other species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lateralization refers to the preferential use of one side of the body to perform certain tasks, often as a consequence of the specialization of cerebral hemispheres. Individuals may benefit from lateralization if it allows them to perform complex tasks simultaneously. Studies on laterality further suggest that sex and age can influence the extent of lateralization. However, most studies on lateralization have been performed on captive individuals, exposed to simplified environments and expressing limited behavioural repertoire. Here, we evaluated behavioural lateralization in the greater flamingo, Phoenicopterus roseus , through observations of wild individuals 5–37 years old. We examined the lateralization of simple behaviours (resting postures) and of several demanding behaviours requiring enhanced motor control and coordination (stamping for food and five courtship postures). Resting postures were not lateralized. In contrast, nearly all flamingos were completely lateralized for stamping, with a significant predominance of right-footed individuals. During courtship displays, twist-preens were significantly lateralized, yet with no dominant laterality at the population level. Finally, we detected a slight positive effect of age on the intensity of twist-preen lateralization, which may be related to the increased complexity of courtship displays with age in this species. Our results support the hypothesis that lateralization manifests in complex behaviours, even in wild animals. Highlights • We evaluated lateralization for several greater flamingo behaviours in the wild. • Resting postures were not lateralized. • Nearly all flamingos were lateralized when foraging by stamping. • Twist-preen during courtship sequences was weakly lateralized. • The observed lateralization is associated with complex behaviours in wild flamingos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides material on shikra's ecology collected in the Lower Amudarya area in 2004, 2005, 2015 and 2016. It also describes the results of research into shikra's distribution, number, breeding biology and diet. The work gives recommendations for the conservation of this bird. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bumblebee Hummingbird (Atthis heloisa) is an endemic bird to Mexico. Its natural history is poorly known, particularly its breeding biology. We provide novel and complementary information that enriches the biological knowledge on the species. We describe a nest of the Bumblebee Hummingbird found in Northern Oaxaca and characterize the nest site. The nest was mainly assembled with mosses and lichens; however, we recorded females transporting hairs of the invasive fern Pteridium sp. and seeds of the bromeliad Catopsis sp. for nest construction. Males were noisy and conspicuous while females were secretive; thus, we suggest considering differences in detectability among sexes when studying the species. Males exhibited courtship displays that consisted of several vertical movements over females while adopting a horizontal posture, erecting the tail, emitting a bee-like sound, and fanning out the feathers of the throat toward the females. The Bumblebee Hummingbird is considered a sedentary species, but we suspect it performs altitudinal movements in search of cloud forests during spring and summer and humid pine-oak forests during winter and autumn. Although the literature indicates that this hummingbird reaches breeding conditions between April and July, we recorded intense breeding activity only during January and February. It is not clear if such variation is regional or if the species could breed multiple times during the year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lek mating systems are relatively rare but occur in a diverse taxonomic array of animals, including birds, mammals, anurans, and insects. Such systems exhibit four features: 1) males provide no parental care and supply only gametes; 2) males are spatially aggregated at mating arenas (or leks); 3) males do not control access to resources critical to females; and 4) females are free to select mates at the arena. Among insects, fruit flies of the families Tephritidae and Drosophilidae display lek behavior that closely resembles the 'classic' lek mating systems of vertebrate species. The objective of this paper is to provide an overview of empirical findings on lek-forming tephritid and drosophilid flies. The essay is organized around a series of 19 questions, the first six of which provide background information on fruit fly leks. These questions deal with the location, persistence, and size of leks as well as pheromonal attraction of females and the nature of male-male aggression. The remaining questions touch on broader issues that are common to the study of lekking species regardless of taxonomic affiliation. For example, these questions concern skewed mating distributions among males, male signals important in female choice, the importance of male aggression and signaling position in affecting male mating success, the possibility of male choice, costs to males associated with lek displays, and evidence of direct and indirect benefits to females resulting from mate selection etc. Reflecting data availability, emphasis is on precopulatory mate choice, sperm competition and female cryptic choice are briefly addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Birds use a variety of sounds in their courtship displays, but the majority of behavioural studies have focused on vocalizations. In contrast, little is known about how non‐vocal sounds, or sonations, are used, even though many avian species produce them. The ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) is a useful species to examine non‐vocal sounds because they lack vocal components in their courtship and rely on a non‐vocal sound to attract mates and defend their territory. Their courtship display, known as “drumming,” is created by the wings, and the number of pulses and speed (pulse rate) varies significantly among males. Anecdotal evidence suggested that males can affect the drumming behaviour of neighbouring males in drumming “duels” in an analogous way to song contests. Here, we test whether males do respond to the playback of drumming sounds of an unfamiliar male. Using a portable speaker system, we played recordings of drumming displays to males that were actively drumming themselves. Throughout each playback, we recorded the drumming behaviour of target males so that we could assess whether drumming activity changes following a playback as well as whether males change the speed of their display. Overall, male grouse were equally likely to approach the speaker or continue drumming following a playback. For those males that continued drumming, their drumming pulse rate was significantly faster following playbacks, but they drummed less often. These results indicate that male ruffed grouse do respond to drumming sounds, but the specific response differs among males. Because the differential response was not related to colour phase or whether a male was drumming in proximity to other males, we suggest that the response of individuals likely varies with other traits, such as hormone levels or behavioural syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When females mate multiply, male reproductive success depends on both pre- and postcopulatory processes, including female choice and sperm competition. However, these processes can favour different mating tactics in males. Here we used the Trinidadian guppy, Poecilia reticulata , system to understand how this conflict is resolved. We asked whether knowledge of recent female mating history leads males to adjust their mating effort with respect to the time devoted to mating activity, and the frequency and the sequence of mating tactics employed. To do this we quantified male mating behaviour in three competitive scenarios: (1) Single, when a focal male arrives near a single female and remains alone with her; (2) First, when a focal male is joined by a rival male; and (3) Second, when a focal male arrives after a rival male. We hypothesized that males adjust their behaviour based on arrival order. If female sequential mate choice is the main process shaping male mating behaviours (favouring First males in guppies), males should avoid competition and invest most when Single. Alternatively, if last-male sperm precedence is the major driver of decision making, males should invest more in mating attempts in the Second scenario. Greatest investment when First implies an intermediate strategy. We found that order of arrival influenced mating decisions with most mating activity during the First rather than the Single and Second scenarios. This result suggests that both pre- and postcopulatory processes influence mating investment, and that individual males make contingent decisions to maximize both mating and fertilization success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]