Reducing a cost of traumatic insemination: female bedbugs evolve a unique organ
Reducing a cost of traumatic insemination: female bedbugs evolve a unique organ
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DOI：
10.1098/rspb.2003.2515
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发表时间：
2003-11-22
影响因子：
4.7
通讯作者：
Siva-Jothy, MT
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Reinhardt, K;Naylor, R;Siva-Jothy, MT
雌性臭虫（Cimex lectularius：臭虫科）在交配过程中频繁受伤已被证明会降低它们的健康水平，但雌性在进化方面如何应对这种成本尚不清楚。雌性臭虫中发现的独特解剖结构的进化，即雄性臭虫在创伤性授精过程中插入性器官进入的精子，可能是对有害雄性特征的反适应。人们已经提出了该器官的多种功能，我们测试了与其在性冲突中的作用相关的两个假设。我们研究了这样的假设：精子的功能是（i）防御创伤性授精过程中引入的病原体； (ii) 降低创伤性授精过程中伤口愈合的成本。我们的结果支持“防御病原体”假说，表明这种独特的拟杀虫器官的进化至少部分是由于选择以减少交配相关感染的成本。我们没有发现任何证据表明精子可以降低伤口愈合的成本。
The frequent wounding of female bedbugs (Cimex lectularius: Cimicidae) during copulation has been shown to decrease their fitness, but how females have responded to this cost in evolutionary terms is unclear. The evolution of a unique anatomical structure found in female bedbugs, the spermalege, into which the male's intromittent organ passes during traumatic insemination, is a possible counteradaptation to harmful male traits. Several functions have been proposed for this organ, and we test two hypotheses related to its role in sexual conflict. We examine the hypotheses that the spermalege functions to (i) defend against pathogens introduced during traumatic insemination; and (ii) reduce the costs of wound healing during traumatic insemination. Our results support the 'defence against pathogens' hypothesis, suggesting that the evolution of this unique cimicid organ resulted, at least partly, from selection to reduce the costs of mating-associated infection. We found no evidence that the spermalege reduces the costs of wound healing.