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Sexual selection theory predicts that females prefer males in good condition because mating with them provides more resources such as sperm, ejaculates and nuptial gifts. The female's condition also affects her mating decisions, and condition‐dependent mate choice may allow her to gain more resources from a mate in the context of fluctuating resource availability.We here investigated how female mating decisions and their fitness consequences varied in the assassin bug Amphibolus venator when the conditions of potential mates and/or the females differed (good or poor condition).Females in both good and poor conditions preferred males in good condition, and females that mated with males in good condition produced more eggs with higher hatch rates. This increase in fitness may be attributed to the males in good condition transferring more ejaculate to the females.In contrast, female mate preference, fecundity and hatch rates were not affected by their own condition. This suggests that females do not choose mates according to their own condition in A. venator. However, the females in good condition laid larger eggs than females in poor condition, implying that females in good condition may invest more per egg to improve their reproductive success.To understand the evolution of female mate choice, it is necessary to investigate the effects of the condition of both sexes on female mating decision and their fitness. In A. venator, male condition may affect mate choice more than female condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: There are numerous studies on the genetic benefit of female mate choice. Fisherian benefits are detected frequently, in which attractive males benefit females by increasing the mating success of sons. In contrast, good‐genes benefits are relatively small or undetectable, especially as males often face a trade‐off between the expression of secondary sexual traits and viability. In this situation, the effects of good genes might be masked in their sons and, therefore, should be investigated in daughters. A previous study has shown that attractive males produce attractive sons (i.e., Fisherian benefit); the present study aimed to verify the existence of good‐genes benefits by revealing whether attractive males of the bean bug Riptortus pedestris (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Alydidae) produced high‐quality daughters. Male attractiveness was measured using courtship latency, and the fitness of the females and their offspring was measured based on their lifetime reproductive success as well as the longevity of the daughters. There was no evidence that females directly benefited from mating with attractive males. Whereas male attractiveness (i.e., courtship latency) did not affect nymphal viability or the longevity of daughters, the attractive males with lower courtship latency could produce the daughters with higher lifetime reproductive success. These results suggest that female mating preference in R. pedestris evolved via Fisherian and good‐genes benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current concepts of sexual selection suggest that male reproductive success is determined by multiple sexual traits. As expression and production of multiple sexual traits are frequently associated with each other, positive or negative correlations among multiple sexual traits ensue. These relationships among traits associated with male reproductive success may be crucial in the evolution of male reproductive strategies. Here, we investigate phenotypic relationships among sexually selected traits in the armed bean bug Riptortus pedestris. In this insect, males with a larger body and weapon are more likely to win male-male competitions, and males with a larger weapon or higher courtship rate are more attractive to females. There was a significant positive correlation between body size and weapon size, whereas the courtship rate had significant negative correlations with body size and weapon size. Our results suggested that there was a phenotypic trade-off between courtship rate and male morphology. In this insect, smaller males may make more effort in courtship behavior as an alternative mating tactic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many insects, mating is affected by the day-night cycle, i.e., diurnal rhythm. Although there are many reports that mating and other reproductive behaviors are controlled by daily rhythms in various taxonomic insect species, little attention has been paid to the effect of daily rhythms on male fighting behavior. Here, we investigate whether the frequency and escalation of male-male aggressive interaction exhibit diurnal rhythms under a long-day condition in the bean bug Riptortus pedestris. Despite the fact that male aggressive behaviors were most often observed in the middle of the later half of light periods, no interaction was found between escalation of fighting and the time period. The results, at least, suggest that male aggressive behaviors are influenced by diurnal rhythms like other reproductive behaviors in R. pedestris. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Females prefer male traits that are associated with direct and/or indirect benefits to themselves. Male–male competition also drives evolution of male traits that represent competitive ability. Because female choice and male–male competition rarely act independently, exploring how these two mechanisms interact is necessary for integrative understanding of the evolution of sexually selected traits. Here, we focused on direct and indirect benefits to females from male attractiveness, courtship, and weapon characters in the armed bug Riptortus pedestris. The males use their hind legs to fight other males over territory and perform courtship displays for successful copulation. Females of R. pedestris receive no direct benefit from mating with attractive males. On the other hand, we found that male attractiveness, courtship rate, and weapon size were significantly heritable and that male attractiveness had positive genetic covariances with both courtship rate and weapon traits. Thus, females obtain indirect benefits from mating with attractive males by producing sons with high courtship success rates and high competitive ability. Moreover, it is evident that courtship rate and hind leg length act as evaluative cues of female choice. Therefore, female mate choice and male–male competition may facilitate each other in R. pedestris. This is consistent with current basic concepts of sexual selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Females prefer male traits that are associated with direct and/or indirect benefits to themselves. Male–male competition also drives evolution of male traits that represent competitive ability. Because female choice and male–male competition rarely act independently, exploring how these two mechanisms interact is necessary for integrative understanding of the evolution of sexually selected traits. Here, we focused on direct and indirect benefits to females from male attractiveness, courtship, and weapon characters in the armed bug Riptortus pedestris. The males use their hind legs to fight other males over territory and perform courtship displays for successful copulation. Females of R. pedestris receive no direct benefit from mating with attractive males. On the other hand, we found that male attractiveness, courtship rate, and weapon size were significantly heritable and that male attractiveness had positive genetic covariances with both courtship rate and weapon traits. Thus, females obtain indirect benefits from mating with attractive males by producing sons with high courtship success rates and high competitive ability. Moreover, it is evident that courtship rate and hind leg length act as evaluative cues of female choice. Therefore, female mate choice and male–male competition may facilitate each other in R. pedestris. This is consistent with current basic concepts of sexual selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]