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The function of female accessory reproductive gland secretion and a cost to polyandry in the yellow dung fly
Author(s) -
Hosken D. J.,
Uhía E.,
Ward P. I.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
physiological entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.693
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1365-3032
pISSN - 0307-6962
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-3032.2002.00271.x
Subject(s) - biology , hatching , longevity , scent gland , secretion , zoology , mammary gland , medicine , endocrinology , ecology , genetics , cancer , breast cancer
Female yellow dung flies have large paired accessory reproductive glands, the function of which remains unclear. However, gland contents are secreted during copula and egg laying. Other female flies produce a range of anti‐bacterial substances in their accessory reproductive glands that protect them and their eggs from pathogens, and it is possible that gland secretion acts similarly in yellow dung flies. A series of experiments was conducted to test this idea. Because the volume of secretion remaining in the glands is negatively related to copula duration, egg hatchability and longevity of females was compared in groups that copulated experimentally once or three times. A zone inhibition assay was used to see if gland extract inhibited bacterial growth. Egg number was positively associated with female body size, but the proportion of eggs hatching was not. Neither copula number nor duration influenced egg number or hatch number or proportion. In accordance with this, gland extract did not inhibit bacterial growth. However, female longevity was reduced in females that copulated with more males. This suggests that gland secretion does not serve to protect eggs, but as with a number of taxa, copula is costly to female yellow dung flies.