Skip to main content
Log in

Daily production of spermatophores, sperm number and spermatophore size in two eriophyoid mite species

  • Published:
Experimental and Applied Acarology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Under dissociated sperm transfer, (non-pairing) males deposit spermatophores on a substrate, while females seek spermatophores and pick up sperm on their own. Spermatophore expenditures of non-pairing males should be high, due to the increased uncertainty of sperm uptake by a female. In this study I examined spermatophore expenditures in two eriophyoid species that differed in the degree of dissociation between sexes: (1) Aculus fockeui (Nalepa and Trouessart) males rarely visit quiescent female nymphs (QFNs), and mostly deposit spermatophores all over the leaves, whereas (2) Aculops allotrichus (Nalepa) males guard QFNs for many hours and deposit several spermatophores beside them. Males of both species were collected from the field and tested in solitude. Aculus fockeui males deposited on average 19.1 spermatophores per day, whereas A. allotrichus deposited only 3.6 spermatophores per day, and had a very large coefficient of variation. Males and spermatophores of A. allotrichus were significantly smaller and contained less sperm than those of A. fockeui. In both eriophyoids, spermatophore size was fitted to the size of female genitalia and the height of females. The ratio between the diameter of spermatophore head and the width of a female genital coverflap was 0.6, whereas the ratio between the female leg and the length of spermatophore stalk was 0.5. Several factors could be responsible for the discrepancy in spermatophore expenditures between species. Among other factors, the effects of male size, male reproductive strategy and female genitalia size on spermatophore output and size of spermatophores are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arnaud L, Haubruge E, Gage MJG (2001) Sperm size and number variation in the red flour beetle. Zool J Linn Soc 13:369–375

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arnqvist G, Thornhill R (1998) Evolution of animal genitalia: patterns of phenotypic and genotypic variation and condition dependence of genital and non-genital morphology in water strider (Heteroptera: Gerridae: Insecta). Genet Res 71:193–212

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Birkhead TR, Møller AP (eds) (1998) Sperm competition and sexual selection. Academic Press, London

  • Byrne PG, Roberts JD, Simmons LW (2002) Sperm competition selects for increased testes mass in Australian frogs. J Evol Biol 15:347–355

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Calhim S, Birkhead TR (2006) Testes size in birds: quality versus quantity—assumptions, errors, and estimates. Behav Ecol Forum 18:271–275

    Google Scholar 

  • Chandrapatya A, Baker GT (1986) External morphology of Coptophylla caroliniani and Aceria mississippiensis spermatophores (Prostigmata: Eriophyidae). J Nat Hist 20:857–862

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dallai R, Zizzari ZV, Fanciulli PP (2009) Different sperm number in the spermatophores of Orchesella villosa (Geoffroy) (Entomobryidae) and Allacma fusca (L.) (Sminthuridae). Arthropod Struct Dev 38:227–234

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • De Lillo E, Craemer C, Amrine JW Jr, Nuzzaci G (2010) Recommended procedures and techniques for morphological studies of Eriophyoidea (Acari: Prostigmata). Exp Appl Acarol 51:283–307

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Eberhard WG (1985) Sexual selection and animal genitalia. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA

    Google Scholar 

  • Eberhard WG, Huber BA, Rodriguez RL, Briceño RD, Solis I, Rodrıguez V (1998) One size fits all? Relationships between the size and degree of variation in genitalia and other body parts in twenty species of insects and spiders. Evolution 52:415–431

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Evans GO (1992) Principles of acarology. C.A.B International, Wallingford

    Google Scholar 

  • Fox CW, Stillwell RC, Wallin WG, Hitchcock LJ (2006) Temperature and host species affect nuptial gift size in a seed-feeding beetle. Funct Ecol 20:1003–1011

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harvey PH, Pagel MD (1991) The comparative method in evolutionary biology. Oxford University Press, Oxford

  • Hosken DJ, Minder AM, Ward PI (2005) Male genital allometry in Scathophagidae (Diptera). Evol Ecol 19:501–515

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • House CM, Simmons LW (2003) Genital morphology and fertilization success in the dung beetle Onthophagus taurus: an example of sexually selected male genitalia. Proc R Soc Lond B 270:447–455

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Immler S, Pitnick S, Parker GA, Durrant KL, Lupold S, Calhim S, Birkhead TR (2011) Resolving variation in the reproductive tradeoff between sperm size and number. PNAS 108:5325–5330

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lindquist EE (1996) External anatomy and notation of structures. In: Eriophyoid mites their biology, natural enemies and control. World Crop Pests, 6. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 3–32

    Google Scholar 

  • Lindquist EE, Sabelis MW, Bruin J (1996) Eriophyoid mites their biology, natural enemies and control. World Crop Pests, vol 6. Elsevier, Amsterdam

  • MacLeod CD (2010) Assessing the shape and topology of allometric relationships with body mass: a case study using testes mass allometry. Methods Ecol Evol 1:359–370

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Michalska K (1999) Spermatophore deposition and guarding in the free-living eriophyid mite Vasates robiniae (Acari). Behaviour 136:899–918

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Michalska K (2005) Spermatophore deposition throughout the day by the plum rust mite, Aculus fockeui. Exp Appl Acarol 35:111–116

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Michalska K, Mańkowski DR (2006) Population sex ratio in three species of eriophyoid mites differing in degree of sex dissociation. Biological Lett 43:197–207

    Google Scholar 

  • Michalska K, Skoracka A, Navia D, Amrine JW Jr (2010) Behavioural studies on eriophyoid mites—an overview. Exp Appl Acarol 51:31–59

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Møller AP (1989) Ejaculate quality, testes size and sperm competition in mammals. Funct Ecol 3:91–96

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morrow EH, Gage MJ (2000) The evolution of sperm length in moths. Proc R Soc Lond B 267:307–313

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nuzzaci G, Alberti G (1996) Internal anatomy and physiology. In: Lindquist EE, Sabelis MW, Bruin J (eds) Eriophyoid mites: their biology, natural enemies and control. World crop pests, vol 6. Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, pp 101–150

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Oldfield GN, Michalska K (1996) Spermatophore deposition, mating behaviour and population mating structure. In: Lindquist EE, Sabelis MW, Bruin J (eds) Eriophyoid mites: their biology, natural enemies and control. World Crop Pests, vol 6. Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, pp 185–198

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Oldfield GN, Newell IM (1973) The role of the spermatophore in the reproductive biology of protogynes of Aculus cornutus (Acarina : Eriophyoidae). Ann Entomol Soc Am 66:160–163

    Google Scholar 

  • Oldfield GN, Hobza RF, Wilson NS (1970) Discovery and characterization of spermatophores in the Eriophyoidea (Acari). Ann Entomol Soc Am 63:520–526

    Google Scholar 

  • Oldfield GN, Newell IM, Reed DK (1972) Insemination of protogynes of Aculus cornutus from spermatophores and description of the sperm cell. Ann Entomol Soc Am 65:1080–1084

    Google Scholar 

  • Parker GA, Ball MA, Stockley P, Gage MJG (1997) Sperm competition games: a prospective analysis of risk assessment. Proc R Soc B 264:1793–1802

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Peretti AV (2003) Functional morphology of spermatophores and female genitalia in bothriurid scorpions: genital courtship, coersion and other possible mechanisms. J Zool 261:135–153

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pitcher TE, Dunn PO, Whittingham LA (2005) Sperm competition and the evolution of testes size in birds. J Evol Biol 18:557–567

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pitnick S (1996) Investment in testes and the cost of making long sperm in Drosophila. Am Nat 148:57–80

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pomiankowski A, Møller AP (1995) A resolution of the lek paradox. Proc R Soc Lond B 260:21–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Proctor HC (1992) Mating and spermatophore morphology of water mites (Acari: Parasitengona). Zool J Linnean Soc 106:341–384

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Proctor HC (1998) Indirect sperm transfer in arthropods: behavioural and evolutionary trends. Annu Rev Entomol 43:153–174

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Proctor HC, Baker RL, Gwynne DT (1995) Mating behaviour and spermatophore morphology: a comparative test of the female-choice hypothesis. Can J Zool 73:2010–2020

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Radwan J, Bogacz I (2000) Comparison of life-history traits of the two male morphs of the bulb mite, Rhizoglyphus robini. Exp Appl Acarol 24:115–121

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Radwan J, Michalczyk Ł, Prokop Z (2005) Age dependence of male mating ability and sperm competition success in the bulb mite. Anim Behav 69:1101–1105

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simmons LW, Kotiaho JS (2002) Evolution of ejaculates: patterns of phenotypic and genotypic variation and condition dependence in sperm competition traits. Evolution 56:1622–1631

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sokal RR, Rohlf RJ (1995) Biometry. W.H. Freeman and Company, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Sternlicht M, Goldenberg S (1971) Fertilisation, sex ratio and post embryonic stages of the citrus bud mite Aceria sheldoni (Ewing) (Acarina: Eriophyoidae). Bull Entomol Res 60:391–397

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stockley P, Gage MJG, Parker GA, Møller AP (1996) Female reproductive biology and the coevolution of ejaculate characteristics in fish. Proc R soc Lond B 263:451–458

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stockley P, Gage MJG, Parker GA, Møller AP (1997) Sperm competition in fishes: the evolution of relative testis size and ejaculate characteristics. Am Nat 149:933–954

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stoltz JA, Neff BD, Olden JD (2005) Allometric growth and sperm competition in fishes. J Fish Biol 67:470–480

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas RH, Zeh DW (1984) Sperm transfer and utilization strategies in arachnids: ecological and morphological constrains. In: Smith RL (ed) Sperm competition and the evolution of animal mating systems. Academic Press, London, pp 180–220

    Google Scholar 

  • Vahed K, Parker DJ, Gilbert JDJ (2011) Larger testes are associated with a higher level of polyandry, but a smaller ejaculate volume, across bushcricket species (Tettigoniidae). Biol Lett 7:261–264

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wedell N (1993) Spermatophore size in bush-crickets—comparative evidence for nuptial gifts as a sperm protection device. Evolution 47:1203–1212

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wedell N, Ritche MG (2004) Male age, mating status and nuptial gift quality in a bushcricket. Anim Behav 67:1059–1065

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Witte H (1991) Indirect sperm transfer in prostigmatic mites from phylogenetic viewpoint. In: Schuster R, Murphy PW (eds) The Acari. Chapman and Hall, London, pp 137–176

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

I thank M.W. Kozłowski, T. Wyszomirski and three anonymous referees for criticism and valuable suggestions to the manuscript. I also thank Anna Mostowska for her assistance with drawing. This research was supported by the grant no. 2P04C02530 from the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Katarzyna Michalska.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Michalska, K. Daily production of spermatophores, sperm number and spermatophore size in two eriophyoid mite species. Exp Appl Acarol 55, 349–359 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-011-9479-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-011-9479-8

Keywords

Navigation