\"Alternative phenotypes within mating systems\" in The evolution of insect mating systems

Insects were for a long time considered simple organisms with unvarying behavioural repertoires, incapable of complicated behavioural responses to changing environments and/or social conditions. However, nothing could be further from the truth; phenotypic plasticity is widespread in insect development, life history, physiology, and behaviour (Whitman and Ananthakrishnan 2009). Plastic responses to environmental and social conditions are actually central to the remarkable adaptability of insects, and have played a crucial role in their evolutionary histories (Moczek 2010; Simpson et al. 2011). Moreover, phenotypic plasticity in insects is not merely restricted to simple responses in metabolism or activity to abiotic factors such as temperature, but can be extremely elaborate, an illuminating example of which is the learning ability of honeybees (Giurfa 2007; Hammer and Menzel 1995; Menzel 1993; Menzel and Muller 1996). Insect mating systems are no exception to this pattern. This chapter ...