Data from: Experience-mediated plasticity in mate preferences: mating assurance in a variable environment

An individual’s prior experience of sexual signals can result in variation in mate preferences, with important consequences for the course of sexual selection. We test two hypotheses about the evolution of experience-mediated plasticity in mate preferences: mating assurance and mismating avoidance. We exposed female Enchenopa binotata treehoppers (Hemiptera: Membracidae) to treatments that varied their experience of signal frequency, the most divergent sexual signal trait in the E. binotata species complex. Treatments consisted of (1) signals matching the preferred frequency, (2-3) signals deviating either 100 Hz above or 100 Hz below the preferred frequency, and (4) no signals. Females experiencing preferred signals showed the greatest selectivity. However, experience had no effect on peak preference. These results support the hypothesis that selection has favored plasticity in mate preferences that ensures that mating takes place when preferred mates are rare or absent, while at the same time ensuring choice of preferred types when those are present. We consider how experience-mediated plasticity may influence selection on sexual advertisement signals, patterns of reproductive isolation, and the maintenance of genetic variation. We suggest that the plasticity we describe may increase the likelihood of successful colonization of a novel environment, where preferred mating types may be rare.

个体对性信号的既往经验可导致配偶偏好产生变异，这对性选择的进程具有重要影响。我们针对配偶偏好中经验介导的可塑性演化提出两个待验证假说：交配保障假说与错配规避假说。我们将雌性二点刻顶枝角蝉（Enchenopa binotata，半翅目：角蝉科）暴露于不同信号频率经历的处理组中，信号频率是二点刻顶枝角蝉物种复合体中分化程度最高的性信号性状。处理组设置如下：(1) 与偏好频率匹配的信号；(2-3) 分别偏离偏好频率100Hz的偏高与偏低信号；(4) 无信号刺激。暴露于偏好频率信号的雌性个体展现出最强的择偶选择性。但既往经验对其峰值配偶偏好并无显著影响。本研究结果支持下述假说：性选择青睐配偶偏好的可塑性，这种可塑性可在偏好配偶稀缺或不存在时保障交配发生，同时在偏好配偶存在时确保个体选择最优配偶类型。我们探讨了经验介导的可塑性如何影响性广告信号所承受的选择压力、生殖隔离模式以及遗传变异的维持机制。我们认为，本研究揭示的这种可塑性可提升成功定植新环境的概率——这类新环境中偏好的交配类型往往较为稀缺。