Journal #2

The evolution of polyandry: multiple mating and female fitness in insects

Göran Arnqvist & Tina Nilsson

Arnqvist, Göran, and Tina Nilsson. “The evolution of polyandry: multiple mating and female fitness in insects.” Animal behaviour 60.2 (2000): 145-164.

This research article found in Animal Behavior examines the topic of the evolution of male and female insect mating rates. In an attempt to contest the predominant evolutionary belief that males increase their fitness (their individual reproduction and survival) by mating with many females and that females only need to mate with few males in order to increase their fitness, the authors ask what the direct effects of polyandry (female polygamy) are on female insects. A meta-analysis of 122 experimental studies addressing the direct effects of multiply mating on female fitness in insects was conducted to answer the question to this study. The type of data needed was reports of acts and behavior surrounding insect mating patterns and number of offspring taken. This information was taken from public and private research records from many institutions and organizations, with the method of data analysis being quantitative analysis since what is being measured is number of eggs produced in one lifetime. The results of this study indicate that females directly benefit from polyandry through increased egg production rate and fertility, however there is an optimal rate of polyandry and any further increase in sexual partners beyond that optimal point is damaging to the female insects. This conclusion is interesting in itself because it goes against the traditional male-female reproduction stereotypes, even though it is for insects. As a whole, this research is very thorough, it took data from over a hundred sources and those sources produced seemingly strong results and conclusions that were very relevant to the current environmental ecology field.