The influence of male body mass on copulation duration in Centrobolus inscriptus (Attems)

Abstract

Body size is a known correlate of copulation duration in some animals. Here I test for the presence of a relationship between male body mass and copulation duration in Centrobolus inscriptus by performing mating experiments. Males differed significantly from females in body mass, body length, and dorsal tergite width. Copulation durations of second males were significantly related to their body mass (Figure 1: R2 = 0.68, d. f. = 7, p = 0.01). Males which mate last prolong copulations in accordance with their body size, which may assure paternity.