New! Sign up for our free email newsletter.
Science News
from research organizations

Beetle mating requires strong grip as defensive behavior

Date:
August 15, 2012
Source:
Public Library of Science
Summary:
Sexual selection in the forked fungus beetle favors larger body and horn size, and a new study investigates the relationship between these traits and the beetles' grip strength.
Share:
FULL STORY

Sexual selection in the Forked Fungus Beetle favors larger body and horn size, and a new study investigates the relationship between these traits and the beetles' grip strength, which is crucial for the male to hold on to the female and shield her from other males in an elaborate courtship ritual.

The full results are reported on Aug. 15 in the open access journal PLoS ONE.

During the courtship ritual, male beetles grab onto the female, sometime for several hours, which would seem to favor males with stronger grip. A video of this behavior is included with the published paper. The authors of the study, led by Vincent Formica of Swarthmore College, tested the grip strength of 84 beetles, both male and female, by tying a piece of thread around the beetles' bodies, allowing them to wrap their legs around a small rod, and then pulling the beetle vertically until they released the rod.

The researchers found that grip strength was very consistent for each individual, that males overall have a stronger grip, and that this sexual dimorphism appears to result from a complex relationship between body size and leg length. Their results, they write, suggest that there is a suite of traits that influence grip performance and therefore might affect sexual selection.


Story Source:

Materials provided by Public Library of Science. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Kyle M. Benowitz, Edmund D. Brodie, Vincent A. Formica. Morphological Correlates of a Combat Performance Trait in the Forked Fungus Beetle, Bolitotherus cornutus. PLoS ONE, 2012; 7 (8): e42738 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0042738

Cite This Page:

Public Library of Science. "Beetle mating requires strong grip as defensive behavior." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 15 August 2012. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120815174856.htm>.
Public Library of Science. (2012, August 15). Beetle mating requires strong grip as defensive behavior. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 18, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120815174856.htm
Public Library of Science. "Beetle mating requires strong grip as defensive behavior." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120815174856.htm (accessed March 18, 2024).

Explore More

from ScienceDaily

RELATED STORIES