Age-related sperm transfer and sperm competitive ability in the male hide beetle

Abstract

The influence of male age on reproductive success after a single mating has been explored widely; however, few studies have investigated whether quantitative or qualitative differences in male sperm are responsible for the observed patterns. Moreover, the role of male age on sperm competitive ability has been largely ignored. We examined the importance of male age on the probability and amount of sperm transferred during a single mating and explored whether sperm competitive ability varies with male age in the hide beetle Dermestes maculatus, a species where sperm viability does not vary with male age. We also investigated whether sperm transfer rates varied with female age. We found that th..