Data from: The oviposition of unfertilized eggs depends on the presence of potential mates in a kissing bug

In most species, females face the risk of losing their oocytes if they
remain unmated for a prolonged period. However, it remains unclear whether
they have developed mechanisms to prevent the loss of fertilizable eggs
according to the chances of finding a mate. We predict that virgin females
will lay a lower proportion of their produced eggs when they perceive the
presence of a male conspecific. We tested this prediction in the kissing
bug Rhodnius prolixus, comparing the oviposition of virgin females
randomly exposed to the presence of a potential mate or isolation over 10
days. We found that isolated females laid three times as many eggs as
females exposed to the presence of a male. The dissection of females
showed that both groups produced similar numbers of developed eggs,
suggesting that differences in oviposition are due to changes in egg
retention, rather than on egg production. We discuss the possible benefits
of egg retention in virgin females, and how this process may contribute to
their reproductive decision-making.