Data from: A weapons-testes trade-off in males is amplified in female traits

Sexually selected weapons are assumed to trade off with traits related to
ejaculates, such as testes. Yet, remarkably little is known about what
governs resource allocation and why trade-offs are found in some cases and
not others. Often-used models depict competitive allocation occurring
within the functional grouping of traits (e.g., reproduction); however,
other factors including tissue expense and developmental timing may
influence allocation. Experimental comparisons of investment across the
sexes have the potential to illuminate allocation rules, because the sexes
do not always use traits for the same functions. Here, we capitalize upon
a species where females have weapons-testes homologues. We report that a
documented trade-off in investment between hind-limb weapons and testes in
leaf-footed cactus bugs, Narnia femorata, is even more pronounced in
female hind limbs and ovaries. Female hind limbs in this species do not
share the clear reproductive function of male hind limbs, therefore this
trade-off spans trait functional groups. Such patterns of investment
suggest that future studies of reproductive trade-offs should consider
factors such as tissue expense and developmental timing.