Sexual conflict over the duration of copulation in Centrobolus inscriptus (Attems)

Abstract

Centrobolus inscriptus provides evidence of a conflict of interests over control of copulation duration. Copulation in C. inscriptus lasts for 173 ± 41 min. The re-mating interval between double matings was not impacted by the first copulation duration but was negatively related to the second copulation duration, so that when a female endured a long interval the following copulation was shorter. Female girth was positively correlated to the second copulation duration. The first copulation duration was not significantly dependent on the sexual size dimorphism within copulating pairs, but the second copulation durations was. In these matters of physical combat, the relative sizes of the combatants are thought to be of primary importance.